New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Global foldable smartphone shipments are projected to grow 20 per cent year‑on‑year in 2026, driven by Apple’s expected entry into the segment and continued premiumisation of the smartphone market, a report said on Tuesday.

The report from Counterpoint Research said Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to intensify competition, and the company is projected to capture a 46 per cent share in North America in 2026.

North America will see the most immediate disruption as Apple’s entry places added pressure on existing foldable vendors including Samsung, Motorola and Google, the report said.

Major Android OEMs are accelerating updates to their foldable portfolios with new book-type devices launching throughout the year due to intensifying competition.

Despite foldables representing only 1.6 per cent of the overall smartphone market in 2025, the category is becoming increasingly important for OEMs as they look for models with attractive margins to offset pricing pressure in the entry and mid-range segments.

The report highlighted that OEMs are centering foldable strategies on book‑type devices offering larger displays for multitasking, media consumption and productivity-oriented use cases.

"Apple appears particularly well positioned given its long-standing experience with iPadOS and large screen software optimization," the report said.

Some Android users considering book-type foldables may also evaluate Apple’s upcoming device as an alternative, increasing the potential for ecosystem switching, it predicted.

Samsung plans to launch next‑generation Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip updates in Q3 2026. The company is expected to adjust its lineup by replacing the previous Flip FE with a wider aspect ratio Fold variant designed to compete more directly with Apple’s anticipated book-type foldable, the firm said.

Motorola will sell its first book-type device, Razr Fold in Q2 2026, and Google is expected to refresh the next-generation Pixel Fold in Q4 2026, the report said.

—IANS

aar/pk