Prakhar Khanna / Android Authority
TL;DR Sales of foldable smartphones could grow by up to 30% in 2026, research firm IDC predicts.
Innovative products such as the Galaxy Z TriFold and a folding iPhone could drive sales for the category.
Meanwhile, sales of regular phones could decline or stagnate over the next few years.
Worldwide smartphone sales have seen a meager growth in 2025. Different research agencies have cited growth rates ranging from 1.5% to 3% for the first, second, and third quarters of the year. Meanwhile, the foldable category expanded at a much faster rate, with Counterpoint reporting 14% year-on-year growth in Q3 2025, led by the success of the reinvented Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its rivals in the book-style format. In 2026, this growth could nearly double as new and innovative products, such as the Galaxy Z TriFold, help shape the future of the foldable segment.
Will you buy a foldable as your next phone? 4 votes Yes, I'd love to 25 % Yes, but only the folding iPhone 0 % No, I'm still skeptical 25 % I'm not buying a new phone soon 50 %
A more recent IDC report predicts that the foldable segment will grow steadily through 2029. The next year, i.e., 2026, specifically will see an enormous 29.7% year-on-year growth in foldable sales. In comparison, sales of regular smartphones are expected to decline by 1.4% as people keep their phones longer, leading to a plateau in sales.
IDC
The strong demand is expected to be backed by new foldable categories, including the recently unveiled Galaxy Z TriFold, which will be available in the US starting early 2026. Huawei’s HarmonyOS-powered foldables are also slated to play a notable role in this growth.
However, the bigger driver will be Apple’s entry into the category later in the year with its purported folding iPhone. IDC predicts the not-so-outrageous selling price of $2,400 (as per recent rumors) could allow the folding iPhone to capture 22% of the foldable market share by units and 34% by value.
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