Apple to Unveil First Foldable iPhone as Sector Shipments Grow 30%

Apple is expected to unveil its maiden foldable iPhone at its Cupertino headquarters later on Wednesday, entering a product category where Asian rivals hold a combined 70 per cent share.

Samsung leads the global foldable smartphone sector with a share of about 40 per cent, followed by Huawei with 30 per cent, according to research firm Counterpoint.

The new handset is expected to adopt a wider passport-style aspect ratio geared toward video and media consumption, arriving as supply-chain advances make flexible displays more durable and less prone to creasing.

Asian Rivals Defend Premium Dominance

For Samsung and Huawei, Apple’s entry turns a high-margin hardware niche into an open battleground across Asian retail channels. Both manufacturers spent years refining flexible hardware, using early technical missteps to improve hinge durability and lock down premium market share in China, South Korea and Southeast Asia.

Asian component suppliers and display manufacturers stand to gain volume as Apple scales production. The primary risk sits with Android hardware makers in the upper price tiers, who lose their sole hardware differentiator once iOS software is available on a flexible screen.

The Long March from Early Hinges

Chinese display maker Royole shipped the first commercial foldable device in 2018 with its outward-folding FlexPai. Samsung launched the US$2,000 Galaxy Fold in 2019, withdrawing initial review units to redesign the display before releasing refined models such as the Fold 8. Huawei followed with the Mate X in 2019, before pushing hardware boundaries further in September 2024 with a US$2,800 tri-fold model.

Apple’s entry will surely increase competition at the premium end. However, foldables are still a very small part of the overall smartphone market, so there is room for the category to grow well beyond current volumes.

Growth Divergence in Handset Shipments

Foldable devices account for a single-digit percentage of total handset sales, constrained by high retail pricing and consumer doubts over long-term screen durability. Google entered the segment in 2023 with the US$1,799 Pixel Fold, while Microsoft discontinued its dual-screen Surface Duo line.

Research firm IDC expects global foldable shipments to grow nearly 30 per cent this year, outpacing an estimated 1.4 per cent decline in standard smartphone sales as Apple unveils its device later on Wednesday.