iPhone Fold – Apple’s first folding iPhone, due to arrive in late 2026, is expected to command 29% of all foldable smartphone display orders in 2026, nudging the market toward higher average selling prices as book-style foldables replace clamshell designs. Counterpoint Rese
By late 2026, the story of foldable phones may hinge on one product name: Apple’s first folding iPhone. The company hasn’t formally launched it yet. but the expectations are already shaping how the foldable screen market is being sized—and who gets paid when devices finally start climbing out of their earlier. messier phase.
Counterpoint Research expects Apple’s iPhone Fold to take 29% of all folding smartphone display orders in 2026, placing it just behind Samsung’s hardware. Samsung is forecast to hold 31% of overall orders for folding smartphone displays, while Huawei is expected to land at 24%.
Apple’s timing matters because it’s tied to a broader market rebound. Counterpoint Research projects global shipments of foldable smartphone screens will reach approximately 27.5 million units for all of 2026. That would mean orders rise roughly 24% compared to 2025. In that math. iPhone Fold panel demand is described as a key contributing factor—less a side story. more a lever.
The knock-on effect may be felt not just in unit counts, but in what customers end up paying. Per the report, iPhone Fold orders are also expected to push competition toward higher average selling prices. The reason is already visible in form factors: high-end book-style foldables have reportedly replaced value-oriented clamshell folding devices as the mainstream form factor. But the report adds that “the growth of in-fold is not entirely dependent on Apple. ” suggesting the market’s shift is happening for multiple reasons. even as Apple becomes the most high-profile driver.
Tri-fold is the counterweight—promising, but still struggling to become everyday. Tri-fold devices like the Huawei Mate XT series and Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold are reportedly not expected to become mass-market products anytime soon. The report points to yield challenges and design complexities as barriers that will continue limiting widespread adoption.
The supply chain behind Apple’s folding plans is where the competition gets sharper. Multiple sources and rumors say Apple’s supplier for iPhone Fold OLED panels will be Samsung Display. Samsung Display held 22% of the foldable smartphone screen market in Q1 2026, up from 15% in Q1 2025.
In Q1 2026, Samsung Display’s share of foldable smartphone display shipments rose to 22%, while BOE’s share dropped from 52% to 45%. BOE still leads overall foldable smartphone screen shipments, but the direction of travel is clear in the figures.
There is also the question of which OLED suppliers will actually show up in Apple’s next folding wave. An April 2026 rumor said Apple had decided against using BOE OLED panels for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. The same report suggests BOE hardware likely won’t be used for the iPhone Fold either.
Taken together. the 2026 market picture starts to look like a tug-of-war between momentum and constraints: Apple’s late-2026 entry is expected to materially lift folding display orders. while the industry’s ability to deliver—and price—new form factors depends on yields. design complexity. and which suppliers can scale. For now. Counterpoint Research’s numbers place Samsung’s display business close to the center of that shift. with iPhone Fold demand acting like the accelerant.
iPhone Fold foldable smartphone screens Counterpoint Research Samsung Display BOE Huawei Mate XT Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold OLED panels 2026 smartphone market
29%?? So Apple basically owns folding now lol.
I don’t get why people want a foldable that costs extra. Like if it’s late 2026 already, won’t the price just be insane. Also “book-style” sounds like it’ll break easier? maybe I’m wrong.
So it says Apple’s iPhone Fold will be 29% of display orders, but doesn’t that mean Samsung is doing all the work? I’m confused. And if prices go up because book-style replaced clamshell… isn’t that just marketing. Like “higher average selling prices” sounds like they already raised them.
Every time I see “foldable surge” I think my phone is gonna turn into a tablet and then melt in my pocket. Tri-fold is mentioned but apparently it’s “struggling” which like… yeah because nobody asked for it. Late 2026 is so far away though, I bet Apple cancels it or changes the name again. Counterpoint Research always predicts stuff and then it’s different when it actually ships.