Apple's iPhone Duo could capture 25% of foldable market in 2026

Apple is projected to capture 24.8% of the foldable smartphone market in 2026 with its new iPhone Duo, shipping 5 million units and offsetting a broader segment slump. TrendForce forecasts global foldable shipments of 20.2 million units in 2026, up just 0.5% year-over-year. Excluding Apple, Android brands will ship only 15.2 million units, a drop of over 20%. Samsung leads with 7.1 million units and 35.1% share, while Huawei matches Apple's 5 million units. Apple omitted a periscope telephoto camera to reduce thickness, relying on a 48 MP main camera with 2x optical-quality zoom and a side-mounted Touch ID sensor instead of Face ID. TrendForce suggests deeper AI integration could transform foldables into new interfaces for AI applications.