Market analysis firm IDC predicts foldable phone shipments will more than quadruple to 41.5 million in 2026, from 8.1 million in 2021. Saying that falling prices and business use cases will spur the adoption of these devices and that they can start to replace both typical phones and tablets due to their size, IDC expects the annual CAGR of foldable devices to reach 38.7 percent between 2022 and 2026.
Commenting on the findings, Anthony Scarsella of IDC said: “The recent launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 will once again shine a light on the entire category as Samsung remains the gold standard for foldable devices in the market. launches have brought incremental but critical improvements compared to their predecessors. The success of these devices should be a strong indicator of how foldable devices will evolve and catch up with consumers in the future. While price remains an issue for consumers, most consumer goods will see a price increase in 2022 due to inflation. Considering that the starting price of $999 is acceptable to consumers.”
They’re not ready to go mainstream yet
But all this does not mean that foldable phones will gain weight in general use. While the popularity of foldable devices will increase slightly in the coming years, IDC does not expect these devices to become mainstream during this time. Figures prepared by the company taking into account foldable devices and other smartphones show that even in 2026, foldable devices will only make up 2.8 percent of the devices shipped that year.
If these figures accurately represent the situation 4 years from now, it would mean that the foldable smartphone category remains a niche and premium segment. Still, it will be interesting to see if any manufacturers try to lower the price to more affordable levels.
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