Global cumulative shipments of foldable smartphones will reach 100 million units by the end of 2026, before growing another 37% next year.
Counterpoint Research, a smartphone market research firm, released its latest Foldable Smartphone Market Forecast report on 7 Sep 2026, stating that global cumulative shipments of foldable smartphones since the first commercial device in 2019 will exceed 100 million units by the end of 2026. Apple's entry into the market with the launch of the iPhone Ultra is a key driver, and it is expected that Apple will immediately capture a 25% market share, becoming the second largest player in its first year.
The report estimates that Apple will deliver up to about 6 million iPhone Ultra units in 2026, accounting for a 25% market share, trailing Samsung's 38% and ahead of Huawei's 22%. This position is noteworthy considering that Apple has a relatively short sales period this year and will face initial production capacity constraints.
Liz Lee, Deputy Director of Counterpoint, said that supply constraints at the start of production are unavoidable. Deliveries and availability will gradually expand after launch, with readiness varying across different markets. These limitations explain why the forecast ceiling for this year is 6 million units.
For 2027, which will be Apple's first full sales year, Counterpoint expects shipments to more than double and market share to rise to around 40%.
Meanwhile, the global foldable market is expected to grow 37% year-on-year, the highest growth rate since 2022, supported by both the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Apple's market entry. This year, the market will expand by 24%, and if this momentum continues, the next 100 million cumulative units will be reached in just about three years.
Despite the high growth rate, foldable smartphones still represent only about 2% of the overall smartphone market. Most buyers remain loyal to traditional candybar-style devices. Counterpoint highlights that the key obstacle is the price gap, with foldable phones costing roughly three times more than regular smartphones.
The report also states that this year several manufacturers, including Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Motorola, Honor, Google, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi, will launch new products. These especially include models with wide book-style designs that offer more convenient external screen usage and larger internal screens for multi-window tasks and AI-assisted work.