Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

[iMac The Knife]

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.

In the past three months I've had the OnePlus Open, the Honor Magic V3 Global (my current daily), and the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4. I have the latest Vivo foldable on preorder as well, but I canceled it because I was so sold on my V3. There are far more players in the US than Google and Samsung. More people are beginning to realize this every day.

 

[iMac The Knife]

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

Haha, you're joking right? Foldable sales have increased year over year since their inception.

One brand is selling 455% more foldables this year, and it isn't Samsung

A 48% YoY increase in global foldables smartphone shipments is largely being driven by Chinese smartphone brands.

www.androidauthority.com

I could add more links, but you can Google it just as easily as I can.

 

[Krizoitz]

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.

Counterpoint, the foldable phone market is tiny, nothing can invigorate it short of a miraculous materials breakthrough that won’t compromise durability and quality.

 

[Basic75]

In the past three months I've had the OnePlus Open, the Honor Magic V3 Global (my current daily), and the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4. I have the latest Vivo foldable on preorder as well, but I canceled it because I was so sold on my V3.

Are you a tech reviewer, or are you single-handedly attempting to drive up the sales numbers of foldable phones?

 

[Harry Haller]

Counterpoint, the foldable phone market is tiny, nothing can invigorate it short of a miraculous materials breakthrough that won’t compromise durability and quality.

So it has the most potential for massive growth unlike stale iPhones which have been experiencing stagnant rates of growth the last few years.

 

[Krizoitz]

I may not want it either. But LOTS of people have been asking for this including right here on this forum. So as long as they still make the pro (very very likely) then who cares if they also try their hand at a foldable.

The market results for existing foldables suggest otherwise. In 2024 they are less than 2% of the market.

Meanwhile this forum is full of tech enthusiasts, and thus makes a horrible barometer for what the overall market looks like. The same audience you say is clamoring for foldable phones (which I doubt is more than 10% of the MR audience, let alone the majority.) also are clamoring for alternate app stores and side loading, features only a tiny fraction of users on phones where they exist (Android) even use now. In other words they are out of touch with the general market.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Are you a tech reviewer, or are you single-handedly attempting to drive up the sales numbers of foldable phones?

I'm neither. I actually try things before I go on MR or any other forum and talk about how I hate a particular device or an entire category of devices like foldables. That's the difference between me and 95% of the people on here. This way, I always get what I want. If you have no real experience with something, be it a tech device or otherwise, your opinion means nothing. Sure, you have a right to your opinion, but that doesn't mean I'm going to listen to it or read it. I am not referring to you by the way, just people in general. Global foldable sales were up approximately 48% year over year in Q2 of 2024. They don't need my help.

 

[Krizoitz]

So it has the most potential for massive growth unlike stale iPhones which have been experiencing stagnant rates of growth the last few years.

Nope, because there is no growth potential in a terrible idea that basically no one wants. Foldable phones are a solution looking for a problem, they add little to no value and have a great many downsides.

 

[Krizoitz]

ok. Can we get multiple user spaces on iPhone? would be nice to have completely separate spaces. limit the feature to 512gb devices so it's an upsell - everyone wins - apple gets the extra money they want, users get the feature they want

What users? Who is having multiple people using one smartphone? No one wins in that case. Apple wastes a lot of money on a feature that 99.9999% of people would never care about let alone use.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Nope, because there is no growth potential in a terrible idea that basically no one wants. Foldable phones are a solution looking for a problem, they add little to no value and have a great many downsides.

The tech today does indeed offer more downsides than not. That does not mean that there is not better foldable screen tech around the corner.

Still, the clamshell design is a bit odd. I don’t understand the point of clamshell.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Nope, because there is no growth potential in a terrible idea that basically no one wants. Foldable phones are a solution looking for a problem, they add little to no value and have a great many downsides.

How many foldables have you owned, and for how long did you own them? Also, the problem was having a slab phone and a mini tablet in two separate devices that I used all the time. The solution was building a two in one device that is a slab phone and mini tablet in one device that is pocketable and performs optimally. Now I have both in one device that weighs 1 gram less than an iPhone 16PM, and is less than 1mm thicker than the 16PM when folded. The whole solution looking for a problem bit is ridiculous, with all due respect.

 

[The Game 161]

Nope, because there is no growth potential in a terrible idea that basically no one wants. Foldable phones are a solution looking for a problem, they add little to no value and have a great many downsides.

Not accurate. If foldable were same price as flagship slab devices they would sell the same rate.

There are far more upsides to downsides of foldables. Better displays, bigger displays, better for content, great for multitasking, can be used for all levels of media. Everything you can do on a normal phone is a better experience on a foldable.

Durability is a downside but a good insurance plan and being careful with your foldable would solve a lot of the concerns.

Issue is people on here have very little experience of anything but iPhones so their view is very narrow when it comes to what else is out there. All they can point to is articles and looking at these devices at a far and not using them over a period of time.

The worse thing you can do is stick to one brand which brings out the same thing year after year. Using other brands opens your eyes that more is out there than just what you’re used to.

The stereotype of apple users sadly is correct based many of the comments on these forums at times. Which is frustrating to see and say.

 

[Krizoitz]

they only break if you are careless like any normal phone.

ive used foldables for 5 years and not one has broke. thats a user issue more than anything else.

I’ve driven in a car for decades and never been killed in a car accident, therefore car accidents don’t happen.

That’s the argument you just put forth.

Your individual experience with foldable phones is, at best, a single data point. No scientist or engineer worth their salt would ever draw a conclusion from a single data point.

The only thing you can conclude is that foldables have been good enough for you. You can’t prove a thing about their overall durability based on your one person experience.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Not accurate. If foldable were same price as flagship slab devices they would sell the same rate.

There are far more upsides to downsides of foldables. Better displays, bigger displays, better for content, great for multitasking, can be used for all levels of media. Everything you can do on a normal phone is a better experience on a foldable.

Durability is a downside but a good insurance plan and being careful with your foldable would solve a lot of the concerns.

Issue is people on here have very little experience of anything but iPhones so their view is very narrow when it comes to what else is out there. All they can point to is articles and looking at these devices at a far and not using them over a period of time.

The worse thing you can do is stick to one brand which brings out the same thing year after year. Using other brands opens your eyes that more is out there than just what you’re used to.

The stereotype of apple users sadly is correct based many of the comments on these forums at times. Which is frustrating to see and day.

Well said. It is really sad how many people in this thread have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

 

[platinumaqua]

I'm not interested in folding phones until the durability problem and the crease problem have been resolved, both of which are unlikely at this point

 

[Krizoitz]

How many foldables have you owned, and for how long did you own them? Also, the problem was having a slab phone and a tablet in two separate devices that I used all the time. Now I have both in one device that weighs 1 gram less than an iPhone 16PM, and is less than 1mm thicker than the 16PM when folded. The whole solution looking for a problem bit is ridiculous, with all due respect.

No it’s not ridiculous because we have the data to back it up, foldables make up well under 2% of the market and that number is already going down. The overwhelming majority of consumers have decided that they either want one or two non-foldable devices and the downside of a separate tablet and smartphone is far better than the severely compromised experience that is a foldable phone.

And yes I have used one, it was terrible.

 

[The Game 161]

I’ve driven in a car for decades and never been killed in a car accident, therefore car accidents don’t happen.

That’s the argument you just put forth.

Your individual experience with foldable phones is, at best, a single data point. No scientist or engineer worth their salt would ever draw a conclusion from a single data point.

The only thing you can conclude is that foldables have been good enough for you. You can’t prove a thing about their overall durability based on your one person experience.

Certainly an awful comparison. In a car you aren’t just worrying about yourself but other idiots on the road. With a phone if you drop it or damage it that’s totally on you the user

There’s no data to suggest foldable break any higher rate than other phones. You just see a few posted online and ASSUME that’s the case for many foldables when it isn’t

 

[ninethirty]

Solution in search of a problem.

 

[Harry Haller]

Nope, because there is no growth potential in a terrible idea that basically no one wants. Foldable phones are a solution looking for a problem, they add little to no value and have a great many downsides.

Why are you ignoring the comparable growth rates between iPhones and foldables that others have posted? Low single digits over the last 5 years for iPhones vs. significant double digit growth rates for foldables.

 

[The Game 161]

Well said. It is really sad how many people in this thread have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

Many do live in the apple bubble and aren’t willing to try something different.

 

[iMac The Knife]

No it’s not ridiculous because we have the data to back it up, foldables make up well under 2% of the market and that number is already going down. The overwhelming majority of consumers have decided that they either want one or two non-foldable devices and the downside of a separate tablet and smartphone is far better than the severely compromised experience that is a foldable phone.

And yes I have used one, it was terrible.

I'll just leave this right here:

"I’ve driven in a car for decades and never been killed in a car accident, therefore car accidents don’t happen.

That’s the argument you just put forth."

You've "used one". So, you basically have zero real experience with foldables. That is exactly what I expected you'd say. I rest my case. Ridiculous.

Which one did you "use"?

 

[Harry Haller]

No it’s not ridiculous because we have the data to back it up, foldables make up well under 2% of the market and that number is already going down. The overwhelming majority of consumers have decided that they either want one or two non-foldable devices and the downside of a separate tablet and smartphone is far better than the severely compromised experience that is a foldable phone.

And yes I have used one, it was terrible.

The current size of the market is not the point.
The point is the incredible growth rates of foldables year over year.
The huge iPhone market is saturated and not growing much.
Don’t you understand that?

 

[Krizoitz]

If foldable were same price as flagship slab devices they would sell the same rate

1. You have absolutely zero data to back that up

2. They aren’t the same price because they can’t be. It requires more complicated engineering to make a foldable phone than a non-foldable phone. That will always be the case. You can’t hand wave away the laws of physics.

3. And if I could buy a flagship phone for 1/2 the price they are now those would sell better than current phones that are half the price. The reality is foldables aren’t the same price (because see #2). Your hypothetical future doesn’t matter because we are talking about current reality. And the current reality is the market for foldables is small and shrinking. They are a bust.

Maybe someday that will change. And maybe someday people will live on Mars. But today? In the real world? There is no foldables market in any meaningful sense.

 

[Harry Haller]

Solution in search of a problem.

The problem is the huge and growing size of slab phones.
The solution is a foldable which halves that footprint.
It’s not rocket surgery.

 

[Krizoitz]

Why are you ignoring the comparable growth rates between iPhones and foldables that others have posted? Low single digits over the last 5 years for iPhones vs. significant double digit growth rates for foldables.

Well for one those growth numbers aren’t real, because the overall foldables market is shrinking. Maybe one company sold a lot more, but it’s because others are selling a lot less or none at all and have left the market.

But even if they were real, without knowing the total sales they are meaningless.

If you sell 1 foldable this month and 4 foldables next month that’s 300% growth!

If I sell 1,000 non-foldables this month and 1,200 foldables next month that’s only a measly 20% growth rate.

Guess which one of us is doing better? Unless your foldables generate an astounding level of profit my 200 extra sales absolutely dwarf your 3 extra sales.

Growth rate without context is meaningless.