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Apple iPhone foldable launch is being heavily tipped for 2026 and the market is hoping the product kickstarts a new fold era.
Foldables have plateaued but experts are banking on Apple to change that
Global foldable smartphone shipments in 2024 saw tepid growth at 2.9 percent (year-on-year) but it is definitely not a sign of the market peaking, according to a new report.
Rather, it is a sign of regrouping before 2026, which is expected to be exciting and rejuvenating for the segment with the entry of Apple and a slew of clamshells, said Counterpoint Research’s latest ‘Global Foldable Smartphone Market Forecast’.
Although many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) saw double and triple-digit growth, the market’s overall growth was impacted by Samsung’s tough Q4 due to political instability, and OPPO cutting production of its more affordable clamshell foldables.
This year is expected to be even tougher, with Counterpoint forecasting single-digit negative growth for the market in 2025. “I don’t see many positives this year and we are actually expecting negative growth for the segment, which will be a first,” observed senior analyst Jene Park.
However, the report supports the growth view for 2026 with the forecast of a mid-double-digit YoY growth in panel procurement. “The supply chain is telling us foldable order books are filling up further out,” said Research Director Calvin Lee.
“At the moment, this doesn’t look like a market that is plateauing – it looks like a market that is about to transform. And that requires a lot of planning, hence the slight pullback this year,” Lee added.
Order books are signalling a massive 2026 turnaround on Apple’s entry and clamshell resurgence.
Global foldable smartphone shipments declined 1 percent in the third quarter this year — its first-ever Q3 decline — as Samsung reclaimed the top spot with a 56 percent market share.
The global foldable market appears to have entered a transitionary phase where it is facing challenges as it progresses from a niche segment to the mainstream. “User satisfaction is particularly high with book-type foldable devices, but the prohibitively high prices remain the biggest obstacle to mass adoption,” said senior analyst Jene Park.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – IANS)