The foldable phone market is projected to experience significant growth, with new design concepts emerging as of 2025 and anticipated for 2026. Global foldable phone shipments are forecast to grow 10% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to a December IDC report. This growth is expected to accelerate to a 30% year-on-year increase in 2026, partly attributed to rumors of an upcoming foldable iPhone from Apple.
Huawei has introduced several foldable phone models, including the Huawei Mate XT trifold and the Huawei Pura X widescreen flip phone. In the third quarter of 2025, Huawei held a 68.9% share of China's foldable phone market, as reported by IDC via MyDrivers. Other competitors in the foldable market include Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi.
Expected Foldable Phone Designs by 2026
By 2026, four distinct types of foldable phone designs are anticipated, offering varied form factors for compact devices that expand into larger screens. The currently prevalent designs are book-style and flip phones.
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Flip Phones: Models such as the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola Razr are designed for portability, offering a compact form factor when folded while retaining a 6.9-inch display when unfolded.
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Book-Style Foldables: Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Oppo Find N5, and Honor Magic V5 unfold into a mini-tablet. These devices are characterized by a squarish aspect ratio when unfolded, suitable for web browsing and reading. Advances in battery technology (silicon-carbon anode batteries) and hinge design have reduced crease depth and overall thickness, making these phones comparable in slimness to traditional slab phones. They can be self-standing, eliminating the need for external kickstands for video consumption, though their aspect ratios may result in letterboxing for 21:9 or 16:9 videos.
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Trifolds: This design features two hinges, offering multiple screen configurations. Examples include the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold and Huawei Mate XT.
- The Huawei Mate XT offers configurations as a phone, mini-tablet, and a widescreen 16:11 tablet.
- The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold provides a 10-inch widescreen tablet that folds into a phone, focusing on productivity and media use.
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Widescreen Foldables: The Huawei Pura X is an example of this category, featuring a 6.3-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. This design is noted for minimizing letterboxing during 16:9 video playback and offering a large cover screen for selfies. Rumors suggest Apple's upcoming iPhone Fold may adopt a passport-sized widescreen design, and Samsung is reportedly developing a similar "Wide Fold" with a 4:3 inner screen and a 5.4-inch cover screen, potentially supporting 25-watt wireless charging. This Samsung model could launch as early as July 2026, preceding Apple's rumored fall launch.
While these foldable phone designs, particularly the newer trifold and widescreen formats, are expected to be priced at a higher range, they contribute to a diversifying smartphone market predominantly featuring traditional candy bar designs. The market in 2026 is projected to offer an expanded range of size, design, and functional choices for consumers.