Counterpoint Research has forecast that global foldable smartphone display shipments will reach approximately 27.5 million units in 2026, a rise of nearly 24% compared with 2025, while revenues are expected to climb around 48% year on year to approximately $4.4 billion.
The report indicated that the market is returning to a new expansion cycle in 2026 after a period of limited adjustment in 2025, driven not only by a recovery in shipment volumes but also by an improvement in average selling prices and a greater share of premium products being developed by Apple and Samsung.
The company forecast that growth will be uneven throughout the year, with combined third- and fourth-quarter shipments accounting for approximately 64% of total annual shipments, reflecting heavy dependence of the recovery on Samsung's product launch cycle, an acceleration in Apple's purchases, and the response of Chinese original equipment manufacturers.
On the competitive front, Counterpoint Research forecast that 2026 will be a transitional year, with Samsung retaining first place with a market share of 31%. Apple is expected to capture approximately 29% of foldable phone display purchases in its first year in the segment, while Huawei's share is set to reach approximately 24%.
The report explained that Apple's entry will not immediately displace Samsung and Huawei, but will expand the market and push competition towards higher-priced and more reliable devices, alongside the development of book-type foldable phones featuring fewer screen creases.
Global foldable phone display shipments fell approximately 7% year on year in the first quarter of 2026 to around 3.9 million units, as a result of brands managing inventory and a slowdown in the pace of new product launches.
BOE maintained its position as the largest supplier with a share of approximately 45%, supported by demand from Huawei, despite its share declining by around 7 percentage points compared with the previous year.
Samsung Display's share rose to approximately 22%, supported by its customers including Samsung, Oppo and Vivo, recording the largest market share gain in the first quarter.
By contrast, the shares of Visionox and TCLCSOT fell to approximately 16% and 13% respectively, while Tianma's share rose to approximately 4%.
The report affirmed that smartphones will remain the primary arena for competition in the foldable display market, and that Apple's entry will directly reshape the competitive structure.
Anzi Qi, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, said that book-type foldable phones have shifted from a secondary category to the mainstream, surpassing clamshell foldables, with continued growth driven by productivity use cases, larger screen experiences, and improved profitability.
The report concluded that the decline in the first quarter of 2026 does not reflect a loss of appeal for foldable phones, but rather represents a transitional phase in the product cycle, as the market moves towards a three-polar structure led by Apple, Samsung and Huawei, and focus shifts from budget clamshell devices to wider-screen book-type foldables. It noted that if Apple and Samsung succeed in scaling production of their new devices and delivering a strong user experience, foldable phones will once again enter a phase of accelerated growth in the second half of 2026.