The latest forecast from Counterpoint Research shows that global folding screen smartphone panel shipments are expected to increase by 46% year-on-year in 2026, and Apple's upcoming entry is seen as a key factor driving this wave of rapid growth. Counterpoint analyst Guillaume Chansin pointed out that as Apple begins to purchase panels for the first folding screen iPhone, Apple will become the core driver of this market segment and is expected to significantly boost demand for the entire folding screen industry chain.
It is said that Apple’s new machine, which is temporarily called “iPhone Fold” by the industry, will use an outer screen and an inner folding structure. When the body is unfolded like a book, it can display a larger internal display similar to the size of an iPad mini. The report points out that Apple's addition will further consolidate the dominance of this type of "book-style" folding form in the folding machine market in 2026, while multi-folding forms like Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold will still only occupy a low-single-digit market share.
At the supply chain level, Samsung Display is considered to be the biggest beneficiary of this wave of form changes. Its folding screen panel market share is expected to rise to more than 50%. It is also revealed that it will provide folding OLED panels for Apple's first folding screen iPhone. As more manufacturers turn to book-style large-size folding solutions, the average selling price of folding screen panels is also expected to rise further.
Consumer preferences are also changing, and the market is gradually tilting towards devices with larger screens that combine the portability of mobile phones with the productivity of tablets. Counterpoint pointed out that during the sales window in the second half of 2025, the sales of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series surpassed the Flip series, which focuses on compact shapes, for the first time. This is regarded as an important signal for the gradual "counterattack" of large-screen book-style folding.
Looking at overall scale, Counterpoint expects total foldable smartphone shipments to grow 14% in 2025 and 38% in 2026. The report also stated that Apple’s first foldable screen iPhone is currently expected to be officially unveiled around mid-September next year, which is regarded as a key time point to push foldable screen mobile phones into a new growth cycle.