Samsung’s success shows the foldable market is mature
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is selling at triple the speed of the Fold 7, according to 9to5Google. The phone’s nearly invisible crease appears to be key. Apple, which waited for display technology to improve, now sees a strong opening. This surge in demand highlights how consumer interest in foldable phones has grown significantly in recent months.
Samsung’s early foldables faced issues, most notably with the Galaxy Fold’s screen, which was prone to damage. The company had to pull the device from the market shortly after its launch due to reports of the screen cracking from normal use. Apple, watching from the sidelines, was waiting for display technology to mature enough to offer a solution that was not only robust but also visually appealing.
Apple enters a market with growing consumer interest
Demand for foldables is rising fast. Last year, Fold 7 sales were up 50% from the previous year. The trend suggests consumers are ready for this form factor. As more people have seen the benefits of foldables, interest has continued to build. Samsung’s latest success with the Fold 8 shows the technology is now at a point where it can compete more effectively with traditional smartphones.
Apple’s iPhone Ultra is expected to arrive next month alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. The foldable model is forecast to capture 25% of the foldable smartphone market quickly. This rapid share capture is expected due to Apple’s brand appeal, strong product design, and the improvements in foldable technology that have made the form factor more appealing to a broader audience. Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models this September, and has reportedly told suppliers to prepare to build around 10 million units this year. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested the device may not be available to pre-order until the fourth quarter of 2026.
The timing could not be better for Apple
By waiting, Apple avoided early foldable missteps. It now enters a market where Samsung has refined the design and proven consumer appetite. The iPhone Ultra could benefit from the foldable momentum Samsung has built. Apple reportedly even had its own engineers working with Samsung to improve the screen technology, ensuring the creaseless display it wanted was ready.
The current success of the Fold 8, combined with the improvements in display technology and growing customer interest, creates an ideal entry point for Apple. The company’s patience has paid off, and it’s ready to capitalize on a market that is finally reaching maturity. Global foldable smartphone shipments are expected to grow 20% in 2026 compared to last year, with Apple's first entry into the category cited as one of the factors driving the increase, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes. The report notes that the broader smartphone market is contending with tighter supply of upstream logic chips and higher memory prices, but says the foldable segment is expected to keep expanding regardless. Samsung is expected to retain its lead in the category, while Apple, Huawei, and other brands are described as helping to drive growth, with the fourth quarter of 2026 flagged as the year's most important sales period. Industry sources told the publication that wider foldable designs and Apple's move into foldables are giving the category a further lift. Nearly eight years of product development, along with a growing number of brand launches and a broader range of devices for buyers, have made foldables more mature and given manufacturers added momentum to expand shipments. According to the report, Samsung's own experience shows that early preorder campaigns can generate strong launch-period sales, but the bigger growth phase is expected to arrive in the fourth quarter, once foldable launches from multiple brands are already on the market. That period is seen as a key opportunity to expand overall demand and drive shipment growth. DigiTimes added that most consumers already expect device prices to rise, so demand should hold up as long as increases stay reasonable.
