Joining the foldable screen battlefield, Apple's panel procurement surpasses Huawei

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Nearly seven years after the birth of foldable smartphones, the originally stable market pattern is about to undergo a major upheaval. This can already be seen from the procurement of foldable phone panels.

According to the latest report released by Counterpoint Research, 2026 will be a transition year for brand competition in the foldable smartphone market. In terms of foldable phone panel procurement, Samsung is expected to remain in first place with a 31% share, Apple is projected to contribute about 29% in its first year, and Huawei’s share is expected to be about 24%.

In other words, Apple will become the core variable in the foldable smartphone market.

With Apple's first foldable smartphone entering the market, the foldable phone panel market will rebound from the adjustment period in 2025.

According to Counterpoint data, the annual shipment volume of foldable smartphone panels in 2026 is expected to reach about 27.5 million units, an increase of about 24% compared to 2025. Revenue is expected to reach about $4.4 billion, a year-on-year increase of about 48%.

Counterpoint points out that after a moderate adjustment in 2025, foldable smartphone panel shipments will return to an expansion cycle in 2026. The growth momentum will not only come from a recovery in shipments, but also from an increase in average selling price (ASP) and optimization of product structure driven by Apple’s and Samsung’s high-end projects.

In addition, growth in the foldable panel market in 2026 will not be uniform. In the first quarter, global foldable smartphone panel shipments were about 3.9 million units, down 7% year-on-year, mainly due to brand inventory control and fewer new product releases. Combined third and fourth quarter shipments will account for about 64% of the whole year.

Counterpoint states that this indicates the annual rebound will be highly dependent on Samsung’s product cycle, Apple’s procurement rhythm, and the rapid follow-up of Chinese phone manufacturers.

Against the backdrop of a bottleneck in hardware and software innovation for smartphones, in order to achieve breakthroughs in the high-end market, foldable phones have recently become a key focus for major phone manufacturers, having outgrown the stage of being a "niche novelty".

In the foldable smartphone market, the previous market structure had Samsung leading the international market and Huawei leading the domestic market.

Apple, which has been late to the foldable phone market, has now received multiple reports saying its first foldable phone will be released in September. According to leaks, Apple’s first foldable phone will feature a large fold design, with an unfolded size of 7.5 to 7.8 inches and a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Counterpoint points out that as Apple’s foldable phone enters the market, the market pattern will shift to Apple, Samsung, and Huawei leading the way, and product forms will move from small, cost-effective foldables to large foldables with spacious form factors.

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