According to TrendForce, Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo model could reach a 24.8% market share with approximately 5 million shipments by the end of 2026. This could bring Apple to the same level as Huawei and place it in second place behind Samsung. Global foldable phone shipments are expected to increase by only 0.5% year on year in 2026, reaching 20.2 million units compared with 2025. Shipments by Android manufacturers excluding Apple could remain at approximately 15.2 million units, representing a decline of more than 20%. Samsung is expected to retain its lead with 7.1 million shipments and a 35.1% share, while Huawei is projected to reach 5 million and 24.8%. TrendForce states that sharp increases in component costs are affecting the market slowdown.
Why it matters
If the forecast materializes, Apple’s entry into the foldable phone market will mean not only the addition of a new player but also a reshaping of the ranking among manufacturers. While Huawei is expected to maintain its current position and Samsung to retain its lead, Apple’s rise could increase competitive pressure, particularly on Android manufacturers. At the same time, the limited growth in the market’s total volume indicates that companies will benefit from declining shares held by competitors rather than from an expanding area of demand in their pursuit of a larger share. The fact that rising component costs are weighing on shipments leaves open the question of how much this ranking will be shaped by consumer demand and how much by production costs.
Background
Apple is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 38 articles mentioning the name in the past 90 days; the most recent is dated September 11, 2026.