IDC: Worldwide Foldable Phone Shipments Will Reach 41.5 Million in 2026

I still don’t think Apple will release a foldable iPhone. However, International Data Corporation (IDC) expects worldwide shipments of foldable phones, including flip and fold form factors, to reach 13.5 million units in 2022. 

This represents an increase of 66.6% over the 8.1 million units shipped in 2021. An updated IDC forecast projects that foldable phone shipments will reach 41.5 million units in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.7% from 2022 to 2026.

The research group says the healthy growth of the foldable market has been led by Samsung with its Flip and Fold lineup. IDC expects the newly updated models will outperform their predecessors and grab more consumer attention in the category.

“The recent launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 will once again shine a spotlight on the entire category as Samsung continues to be the gold standard for foldable devices in the market,” says Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “The new launches from Samsung have brought incremental but critical improvements over their predecessors. The success of these devices should be a strong indicator of how foldables will evolve and capture consumers moving forward. While the price remains a pain point for consumers, the $999 starting price may be accepted by consumers given that most consumer goods have seen price increases due to inflation in 2022.” 

The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) thinks foldable smartphones are a gimmick that will pass. What’s more, as noted by Screenrant, foldable screens are difficult to produce and the hinges are prone to failure, as demonstrated by such high-profile manufacturers as Samsung and Motorola that struggled and failed on their first attempts. 

This foldable iPhone concept image accompanying this article is courtesy of Tech Advisor.