Get ready for the biggest shift in the foldable market yet. Apple’s first foldable iPhone—it’s tentatively the iPhone Fold—is expected to drop in 2026. This isn’t just another phone launch. It’s a complete shake-up.
The Market Impact: Why Apple Matters
The thing is, right now, the foldable space is dominated by Samsung and Google. It’s a niche market, or nothing. That happened.
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And then Apple decided to step in.
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Market Share: In its debut year, IDC predicts the iPhone Fold will instantly grab over 22% of all foldable shipments. That’s massive.
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Market Value: Even more impressive? It will account for a stunning 34% of the entire foldable market’s value.
Why such a high value capture? The price tag, let’s be real. The iPhone Fold is expected to start around 2,400. That’s roughly ₹2,15,000, which is higher than what the current top Android foldables are priced at.
Francisco Jeronimo from IDC said it perfectly: Apple is the catalyst. They enter a category, and suddenly everyone pays attention. This launch is going to boost awareness and drive mainstream interest. Even if foldables stay niche in pure volume, they become a huge value driver for every vendor involved.
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The Tech Race is On
Apple’s entry means the competition has to run faster. IDC is now forecasting the overall foldable market to grow by 30% in 2026. That’s a huge jump from earlier projections.
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Samsung’s Response: Samsung is already lining up a serious counter-punch with the Galaxy Z Trifold. It’s not just a fold; it’s a tri-fold, opening up into a 10-inch, tablet-sized screen. It runs on a customized Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and packs a massive 5,600mAh battery. The tri-fold is already rumored to start around $2,100, which is steep, but it’s pure innovation.
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Apple’s Design: Rumors suggest the iPhone Fold will be revealed alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in the fall of 2026. The design is expected to be a book-style fold—a 5.5-inch cover screen, opening up to a 7.8-inch internal display, which is about iPad mini size.
And here’s the kicker: Apple is reportedly focused on eliminating the screen crease. If they manage to solve the crease problem that has plagued every single foldable phone to date, that alone will justify the price tag for a lot of buyers. The foldable war is officially about to get very, very expensive. The consumer will win.
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