- IDC projects Apple will capture more than 22 per cent of unit share and roughly 34 per cent of category value in its first year.
- While foldables will remain a niche by volume, their average selling prices—about three times standard smartphones—position the segment as a key profit driver for vendors.
Worldwide foldable smartphone shipments are forecast to rise 10 per cent year over year to 20.6 million units in 2025, with momentum accelerating into 2026 as new flagship launches expand consumer appeal, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
“Next year will prove exciting for the foldable category with multiple launches pushing the market to 30 per cent YoY growth from just 6 per cent in the prior forecast,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
Samsung is expected to catalyse demand with the Galaxy Z Trifold—building on the Galaxy Z Fold7’s 2025 performance—while Huawei’s HarmonyOS Next foldables are also set for strong gains, IDC said.
Higher value
The inflection point is expected at the end of 2026, when Apple debuts its first foldable iPhone. IDC projects Apple will capture more than 22 per cent of unit share and roughly 34 per cent of category value in its first year, buoyed by an estimated average price of around $2,400, according to Popal and Francisco Jeronimo, IDC’s vice president of client devices.
While foldables will remain a niche by volume, their average selling prices—about three times standard smartphones—position the segment as a key profit driver for vendors, IDC added.
As consumers hold onto devices longer and replacement cycles lengthen, vendors are betting on foldables and emerging tri‑fold designs to deliver meaningful innovation and higher value. IDC expects the foldables market to grow at a 17 per cent CAGR through 2029, compared with less than 1 per cent for traditional smartphones, underscoring the segment’s role in revitalising a plateaued industry.
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