Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

[MacRumors]

The foldable smartphone market has stalled with customer interest in foldables waning, but that could change when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, according to display analyst Ross Young.

In a report on the current foldable smartphone market, Young says that Apple is expected to "enter the foldable market" in the second half of 2026. Apple's "dominant position in flagship smartphones" could potentially lead to significant growth for the foldable market in 2026, ultimately leading to a record year for foldables.

Young expects more than 30 percent growth in the foldable market in 2026, followed by continued 20 percent growth in 2027 and 2028.

There have long been rumors suggesting that Apple is developing a foldable iPhone, and some analysts believe that Apple will finally debut a foldable iPhone around September of 2026.

The first foldable iPhone could be between 7.9 and 8.3 inches in size, and it may have a "clamshell" design like Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip. A clamshell iPhone would fold in half vertically rather than horizontally, allowing for a full-size iPhone when unfolded, and a smaller, pocketable device when folded.

Article Link: Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

 

[travis64]

Ummm why not 2025????

 

[TechnoMonk]

Young in 2026: “ Apple postponed the foldable iPhone plans coz **Insert some random Reason**. Heads Young wins, Tails Apple losses. That is Apple rumors/Analyst 101.

 

[vroom2]

My gosh, can the MR design team not come up with anything more creative than that hideous rendering of a current design iPhone broken in half? They have used it a few times in the past now, and it gets more cringe with each posting.

 

[TheWraith]

This will not work. There is no new market—it's saturated.

 

[arthurgd3]

The outside cover display on a flip style foldable has to be usable for any flip style foldable to break through and start eating into it's slab phone cousin. The best example of this is the latest Moto Razr compared to Samsung's Z Flip. The Razr's cover display is fully functional and is just a miniature phone with little to no limits over the inside main display where all other flip foldables have been some curated gimped set of features and layout from the inside display.

If Apple can pull this off and maintain a base $999 price then no doubt it can take off.

 

[UltimateSyn]

I wish they would adopt the ‘fold’ form factor instead of the ‘flip’. A vertical fold has the advantage of giving you a massive screen when it’s unfolded, but the flip just…. Is shorter when it’s folded.. I don’t see a lot of advantages with the latter.

 

[jz0309]

Well, assuming this will indeed happen in 2026, my 13PM will have to last another 22 months…

 

[ab2c4]

I can only imagine the price of it if it ever gets released.

 

[Icehawk]

All things come back. Big pohnes. Small phones. Flip phones. Smart phones. Big phones. Flip smart phones. Hope it's not just a flip phone. Gotta be a better way. *shrugs*

 

[raythompsontn]

my 13PM will have to last another 22 months

You don't have to wait. You can fold your 13PM now. Downside, only once, and working is questionable.

 

[arthurgd3]

This will not work. There is no new market—it's saturated.

The foldable market particularly in the US, Apple's biggest market, is by no means saturated. The only players are Google who does not yet make a flip style foldable, Samsung (has made the same flip foldable phone for years) and Moto who has yet to make a meaningful dent in the market.

Also none of those options run iOS so they are DOA for Apple users. Apple users (I can only imagine as I am not one) are likely bored out of their mind with the recent iPhones with very few changes. Releasing a flip foldable, anything to break the monotony is just what Apple and its users need.

 

[hieranonymous]

The problem with foldables right now is that they’re both insanely expensive and feature durability regressions compared to typical slab phones. It’s still gonna be a while before the bang-for-buck ratios level out.

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

It will bomb just as bad as the Apple Vision Pro, maybe even worse. Very niche for people that want it and it’s far from the masses.

 

[jz0309]

You don't have to wait. You can fold your 13PM now. Downside, only once, and working is questionable.

You misinterpreted “last” in my post, it means “”remains functional”

 

[blairh]

It will be a book-style folding device. Ross confirmed this in a tweet response today to a question he was asked.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

In a report on the current foldable smartphone market, Young says that Apple is expected to "enter the foldable market" in the second half of 2026. Apple's "dominant position in flagship smartphones" could potentially lead to significant growth for the foldable market in 2026, ultimately leading to a record year for foldables.

Starting to think that so called “iPhone Air” could be a foldable device, when unfolded is the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever made……

 

[frownface]

but accoring to people on macrumors, there's no market for this; something about a solution in search of a problem

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

Or, if the bendy phone marked is indeed stagnating, Apple could save themselves a ton of money and just not make one.

 

[TechRemarker]

This will not work. There is no new market—it's saturated.

No where do they say it's a new market. It says the foldable market has stalled, but an iPhone foldable could significantly re-energize the market, as presumably they would launch one if and when the work out the kinks everyone has faced, and find a reason for its existence, where is most have created just because they can which is why the market has also stalled.

 

[Johnny907]

Yeah no. Folding nonsense is a gimmick. If there were any juice behind it those models would have a larger market share in the Android sector.
If Apple wants to innovate, increase customizability and battery life. Oh for the love of God please move on from OLED screens. PWM has locked me into using years old tech because the stuff gives me vertigo after 30 seconds.

 

[springsup]

Starting to think that so called “iPhone Air” could be a foldable device, when unfolded is the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever made……

So it’s thin right at the moment when it’s thinness is least important 👍

 

[taeclee99]

The foldable smartphone market has stalled with customer interest in foldables waning, but that could change when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, according to display analyst Ross Young.

In a report on the current foldable smartphone market, Young says that Apple is expected to "enter the foldable market" in the second half of 2026. Apple's "dominant position in flagship smartphones" could potentially lead to significant growth for the foldable market in 2026, ultimately leading to a record year for foldables.

Young expects more than 30 percent growth in the foldable market in 2026, followed by continued 20 percent growth in 2027 and 2028.

There have long been rumors suggesting that Apple is developing a foldable iPhone, and some analysts believe that Apple will finally debut a foldable iPhone around September of 2026.

The first foldable iPhone could be between 7.9 and 8.3 inches in size, and it may have a "clamshell" design like Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip. A clamshell iPhone would fold in half vertically rather than horizontally, allowing for a full-size iPhone when unfolded, and a smaller, pocketable device when folded.

Article Link: Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

The crease better be extremely diminished or no buy.

 

[arthurgd3]

It will be a book-style folding device. Ross confirmed this in a tweet response today to a question he was asked.

A book style iPhone won't be selling for anything less than $2000, possibly as high as $2500 and if the inner display uses the same or similar UTG like all other book style foldables have then it will have the same fragility worries all the other foldables still have today. Apple Care on that will cost a pretty penny too.

 

[springsup]

Wait - wasn’t the point of making a foldable to reinvigorate a stalling smartphone market? Now foldables have stalled already too?