Global foldable smartphone shipments to cross 100 million cumulative units in 2026: Report

New Delhi: Global foldable smartphone shipments are expected to cross 100 million cumulative units by the end of 2026 which is a major milestone for the category in its eighth year since the first commercially available foldable was launched, a report showed on Monday.

A report by Counterpoint Research showed global foldable smartphone shipments to grow 37 per cent year-on-year in 2027 driven by Apple's entry into the segment and stronger demand for wider book-type devices from Samsung and other firms.

In addition, foldable smartphones currently account for only about 2 per cent of overall global smartphone market, leaving significant room for further expansion, it added.

Apple is expected to ship up to 6 million foldable iPhones in 2026, giving it a 25 per cent share of the global foldable market and making it the second position behind Samsung, which is forecast to hold a 38 per cent share.

According to the report, the iPhone makers' initial sales are likely to be constrained more by supply than demand with production volumes expected to remain limited during the early ramp-up. Availability is expected to expand gradually across regions as production increases, Counterpoint Research said.

"Apple's entry will surely increase competition at the premium end. However, foldables are still a very small part of the overall smartphone market, so there is room for the category to grow well beyond current volumes," Research Director Tarun Pathak said.

The report has expected Apple's foldable shipments to more than double in 2027 with its market share reaching 40 per cent.

The category's next 100 million cumulative shipments milestone could be reached within three years, the research firm said. It further noted that foldables remain significantly more expensive than conventional smartphones with prices around three times higher, meaning mass-market adoption is still some years away.

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