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Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market
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I miss my iPhone 6s. Settled on a 13 Pro but sometimes regret not going with the regular 13 and getting the mini. End of an era of human-friendly sized phones.
But we already have hand-on with lots of real users. Not Apple (of course), but Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, Huawei, etc.
Apple is, I’m sure, learning a ton from all of those phone makers and users. And if Apple is watching the situation with the Huawei Mate XT, then Apple is learning A TON about what NOT to do. 😂
Yes and those others will give Apple a good starting point as you say but they still need real world experience with THEIR own unique take on a foldable. So odds are the second generation of an Apple foldable will have notable improvements over the first. If they really do come out with a foldable I'll likely size up the benefits then if I like it I'll wait a year and get the next one.
2026:
iPhone 18
iPhone 18 Air
iPhone 18 Pro
iPhone 18 Pro Max
iPhone 18 Ultra (Book-style folding iPhone)
A flip phone is so unneeded right now. If they did a folding phone, that unfolded into a tablet (like the Z Fold or Pixel Fold), that would be a much more convenient device.
Or you could get a redesigned 17 Pro Max, maybe in teal if that color pushes your buttons in 9 months and wait until the second or third generation folding iPhone to give Apple a chance to work out any hardware issues. I know Samsung did a lot of the R&D for Apple because you can be sure Apple purchased a bunch of folding phones over the years to take apart in their labs so the first generation might be pretty good, but knowing Apple, the first generation will still be suboptimal in some way(s).
Those are the only other companies people buy phones from anyway, at least people who care about technology enough to want a foldable phone
Agreed. I definitely don't see the point of the Z Flip series or a similar iPhone that folds vertically. There's really no benefit to a flip design.
The Z Fold series, on the other hand, is easily my favorite phone of all time, way better than any of my previous Android or iPhones. I would be willing to return to the Apple ecosystem if they make a foldable book-style iPhone. A foldable book-style iPhone will probably tank iPad mini sales. I stopped using my M1 iPad 12.9 after I got the Fold 4 a couple of years ago.
I will buy a foldable phone when they eliminate the crease in the middle, otherwise it’s a dealbreaker….who the hell wants that in the middle of your screen. I seen many in person, can’t stand it.
I'm curious to know where Ross Young said the following:
"Young expects more than 30 percent growth in the foldable market in 2026, followed by continued 20 percent growth in 2027 and 2028."
According to a recently DSCC report cited by 9to5mac, they predict the following, which is completely different:
"After enjoying at least 40% growth per year from 2019-2023, DSCC now believes the foldable smartphone display market will rise just 5% in 2024 and fall by 4% in 2025. Demand has stalled at around 22M panels. Foldable smartphone display procurement was down 38% Y/Y in Q3’24 and is expected to be down Y/Y in four of the next five quarters"
9to5mac.com
www.displaysupplychain.com
"Young expects more than 30 percent growth in the foldable market in 2026, followed by continued 20 percent growth in 2027 and 2028."
According to a recently DSCC report cited by 9to5mac, they predict the following, which is completely different:
"After enjoying at least 40% growth per year from 2019-2023, DSCC now believes the foldable smartphone display market will rise just 5% in 2024 and fall by 4% in 2025. Demand has stalled at around 22M panels. Foldable smartphone display procurement was down 38% Y/Y in Q3’24 and is expected to be down Y/Y in four of the next five quarters"
Apple’s foldable iPhone is expected to save a surprisingly declining market - 9to5Mac
Foldable smartphones just saw their first ever YOY decline, and things are expected to get worse until Apple’s foldable iPhone debuts.
9to5mac.com
Foldable Smartphone Market Stalls in 2024 and 2025 - Display Supply Chain Consultants
www.displaysupplychain.com
My last folding phone was an LG VX-8100 and to be honest I’m not sure if I want to go back, even if it comes from Apple. I’ll have to hold it in my hand at the store and pay close attention to user feedback.
I can’t understand a form factor as depicted here. One that folds open like a book perhaps. But for me I really don’t want/need 2x the thickness and the bulkyness in my pocket.
Sadly I see this as a super-premium offering, like the Z Fold. Add in the Apple tax and we could see well north of $2k.
Why people are obese with foldable phone? Seriously?! Are the exiting foldable phones selling well?
Huge flop if Apple released a foldable. Goofy, wacky and useless is Android territory.
I think it’s a bit like TVs. A very mature product with nothing much to tempt users to upgrade. Ideas like 3D and curved displays never caught on because most people were not interested. Android foldables have been around for quite a while and would have expected to see at least a large minority of that user base switching to foldable if there was a demand. There clearly isn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised to see lacklustre demand if Apple release an offering. Surely price will be a factor. I wouldn’t expect an Apple version to be more expensive than their slab counterpart.
2 of my good friends have Samsung folds.. one was showing me how he was playing Xbox game pass on the top half and another game on the bottom right quarter and watching YouTube in the bottom left corner the other day. This guy lives in a van and his whole life is that phone. My other friend uses his phone mostly folded out too. I’m sure apple’s will cost ‘only $3,499’ for 256gb like the avp.
Tim Apple at next event: “I’m so proud to introduce the new iPhold! Our most newest, most advanced and bendable iPhone since the iPhone 6.”