The latest rumors indicate we’re less than a year away from Apple’s first foldable iPhone debuting. And based on recent foldable market trends, it sounds like the iPhone Fold’s launch timing couldn’t be better.
Next year’s iPhone Fold launch will have strong momentum on its side
Apple’s first ever foldable iPhone is currently expected to launch in fall 2026.
It will be a brand new addition to the flagship iPhone lineup, similar to how iPhone Air was this year’s entirely new model.
When the iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra, perhaps) arrives, Apple will surely be called “late” to the foldable smartphone market. Samsung, after all, launched its first foldable way back in 2019.
The iPhone Fold will debut a full seven years later. And yet, all signs indicate that Apple’s launch timing couldn’t be better.
Counterpoint Research recently published an overview of the foldable smartphone market, which is having perhaps its first true breakout year.
The US foldable smartphone market is expected to grow 68% YoY in 2025, as it enters a period of solid growth after several years of experimentation
That last word, “experimentation,” is a more positive way of saying that the market has struggled of late.
For the first several years of foldables’ availability, analysts expected significant growth, but consumers didn’t seem all that thrilled by what was being offered. Thus, foldables remained niche.
This year though, things are changing—and fresh momentum is almost certain to increase thanks to Apple’s upcoming entry.
After years of iteration, foldables are finally getting good
Counterpoint’s report offers a great summary of current foldable momentum:
“The US foldable market is evolving from novelty to necessity,” said Liz Lee, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research. “While Samsung continues to lead in maturity and ecosystem strength in 2025, Motorola’s rapid expansion in the clamshell segment and Google’s AI-driven approach are reshaping competition. Apple’s eventual arrival in 2026 will not only expand the market but also cement foldables as a mainstream premium smartphone format.”
Why are foldables suddenly having a moment? General consensus is pretty simple: the products have finally gotten really good.
Samsung itself even hinted as much. When touting strong sales for its latest Galaxy Z Fold7, the company said: “Now on our seventh generation, we’ve addressed consumer feedback year after year and have arrived at the kind of experience you can’t get on any other device.”
All of this to say: when the iPhone Fold arrives next year, some might say Apple is late to the category, but the market seems to strongly indicate that it’s launching at just the right time.
Do you agree that Apple’s timing with iPhone Fold is just right, or should it have shipped a foldable sooner? Let us know in the comments.
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