IDC has just released a new report regarding the foldable smartphone market , and what’s in it is quite interesting. The company claims that the worldwide foldable smartphone market will grow 30% YoY in 2026, and Apple ’s first foldable iPhone is said to be the main reason for that.
The foldable smartphone market to represent 10% of the total smartphone market by 2029
The company also claims that foldables will represent over 10% of the total smartphone market value by 2029. It seems like Apple could give it the push that it has been waiting for to see further growth.
IDC also mentioned the Galaxy Z TriFold , as both that phone and Apple’s first foldable iPhone are expected to ignite consumer demand for the category in 2026. “Next year will prove exciting for the foldable category with multiple launches pushing the market to 30% YoY growth from just 6% in the prior forecast,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
Apple will grab a huge chunk of the foldable smartphone market in 2026
In the report, IDC wanted to further show what kind of impact a foldable iPhone is expected to have. That phone is expected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year. It was also mentioned that the expected average price point is $2,400 .
In the two graphs below, you can see the expected foldables vs non-foldables YoY growth between 2024 and 2029, along with a foldable market share forecast by operating system between 2025 and 2029.
Based on this, next year could be truly important for foldables, which is not surprising considering the expansion of the tri-fold category thanks to Samsung (and possibly other companies), not to mention the arrival of Apple’s first foldable iPhone.
HarmonyOS is expected to grow as well
HarmonyOS is also expected to grow next year, in the foldable space, based on what IDC showed us here. As already mentioned, iOS will grab a huge chunk of that market thanks to Apple’s first foldable iPhone, and it will continue growing in the coming years. Those are the expectations, at the very least.
