Samsung’s Foldable Reign in the US Might Face Apple’s Challenge: Report

Foldable phones are still a niche product, no matter how big the innovations have been in recent years. In the US, foldables are poised for a major leap, expected to grow by 68% year-on-year in 2025. That’s a huge jump considering Counterpoint Research notes foldables only grew 11% YoY in 2024. And there are some interesting details behind those numbers.

According to Counterpoint, Samsung will continue to hold the lion’s share of the US foldable market in 2025. But the gap is closing, and Motorola’s foldables are giving Samsung some stiff competition. The bigger shakeup, however, will come once Apple debuts its first foldable in 2026.

Samsung might still lead the US foldable market in 2026, but Apple is coming to challenge

The report notes that Samsung is expected to maintain its lead in the US foldable segment in 2026, but Apple could come in close and potentially push Motorola out of second place. That would make Apple the second-largest player in the market, thanks in large part to the company’s strong and loyal US user base.

Counterpoint also reiterates previous speculation that Apple’s foldable iPhone is likely to debut in late 2026. There’s still no confirmed launch timeline. But if Apple follows its usual cadence, the foldable iPhone could arrive alongside the iPhone 18 series this fall. We’ll just have to wait and see what Apple brings to the table.

With Samsung still dominating and Apple preparing its entry, the US foldable market looks set for one of its most competitive years yet. We can’t wait to see the foldable iPhone go head-to-head with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 when both hit the market next year. In related news, it’s highly likely that Samsung Display will exclusively supply the screens for Apple’s debut foldable iPhone.