‘iPhone Fold’ Arrival Expected to Cement Book-Style Era for Foldables

Foldable smartphone panel shipments are projected to jump 46% year-over-year in 2026, with Apple’s entry into the market serving as the main catalyst, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest Foldable-Rollable Display Shipment Tracker.

« Apple is the key driver as it starts to procure panels for its first foldable iPhone, » said Counterpoint’s Guillaume Chansin. The research firm expects Apple’s foldable iPhone to « reinvigorate the broader market, » spurring massive growth in panel shipments next year.

Apple’s « iPhone Fold, » which we are provisionally calling it, is said to have an outer display and opens like a book to reveal a larger iPad mini-style internal display. The report indicates that Apple’s entry into the market will see similar book-type foldables cement their position as the dominant form factor in 2026. Meanwhile, multi-fold panels, like those used in Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold, will account for only low single-digit market share.

Samsung Display stands to benefit most from the shift, with its panel market share expected to climb past 50%. Samsung is also reportedly supplying the panels for Apple’s first foldable. The move toward book-type designs is also expected to drive up average selling prices for foldable panels.

Consumer preference appears to be shifting toward larger displays that offer tablet-like productivity. Counterpoint notes that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold outsold the Flip model during the early sales window in the second half of 2025, which was a first for the series.

• iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple’s Foldable

Counterpoint expects overall foldable smartphone shipments to grow 14% in 2025 and 38% in 2026. Apple’s foldable iPhone is expected to arrive next year, around mid-September.

This article, "'iPhone Fold' Arrival Expected to Cement Book-Style Era for Foldables" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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