NEEDHAM, Mass., December 9, 2025 – Worldwide foldable smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 10% year-on-year (YoY) in 2025 to 20.6 million units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. The new foldable iPhone from Apple, alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Z Trifold, available from Q1 2026, 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. “Samsung will kick start 2026 with the Galaxy Z Trifold, introducing tri-fold innovation to mainstream global consumers, building off the momentum of the successful Galaxy Z Fold7 in 2025. Huawei’s foldables running on HarmonyOS Next will also see strong growth, with shipments expected to almost double in 2026. But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400.”
“The launch of Apple’s first foldable iPhone will mark a turning point for the foldable segment,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at IDC. “This move is likely to boost category awareness and drive consumer interest. Apple tends to be a catalyst for mainstream adoption of new categories. Although foldables will continue to be a niche segment from a volume perspective, it will become a relevant value driver for most vendors offering foldables, as average selling prices will be 3 times higher than a standard smartphone.”
As consumers keep their smartphones for longer, driving replacement cycles have become increasingly difficult for vendors. Foldables and even tri-folds are becoming critical for an industry that has plateaued and needs meaningful innovation to motivate upgrades and drive value. The foldables category is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17% through 2029, compared with less than 1% for the traditional smartphone segment.
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For more information about IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, please contact Jackie Kliem at 508-988-7984 and jkliem@idc.com.
About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of trusted technology intelligence, advisory services, and events. With more than 1,000 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 100 countries. IDC’s analysis and insights help IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on X at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.
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