Book-style foldables could significantly outsell clamshells for the first time ever

Massive-screen foldable telephones are set to have a giant 12 months, with market analysis agency Counterpoint Analysis anticipating the kind issue to account for the majority of folding telephone shipments in 2026. The projections come forward of Apple’s anticipated entry into the foldable market later this 12 months. Bigger foldables are sometimes known as book- or passport-style foldables, whereas smaller ones are sometimes referred to as clamshell foldables or just flip telephones. Traditionally, foldable telephone customers have chosen between these two kind elements in practically equal numbers, however Counterpoint Analysis thinks that can change.

The agency’s 2026 projections for the foldable market predict that book-style units will emerge as the industry-leading kind issue, representing 65% of all folding telephones shipped. For context, book-style telephones represented simply 52% of 2025 foldable shipments. Counterpoint Analysis sees advantages to the kind issue on each the sides of the deal. Massive foldables promote at greater costs on common, making them interesting to firms. In addition they really feel extra premium and allow productiveness workflows unattainable on conventional smartphones, satisfying prospects.

“As reminiscence provide tightness turns into more and more concentrated in parts used for low- to mid-range smartphones, considerations round the broader mass-market outlook are rising,” stated Tarun Pathak, analysis director at Counterpoint, in the press launch. “In opposition to this backdrop, OEMs are putting higher emphasis on higher-value units, prioritizing profitability over quantity. Ebook-type foldables are well-positioned on this shift, as their premium specs and better reminiscence configurations help ASP (common promoting value) enlargement whereas aligning with value-led development methods.”

Samsung led the world foldable market in models shipped final 12 months, reclaiming the high spot after Huawei briefly took the lead in 2024. The South Korean tech large led for the 4 straight years prior. Foldable telephone shipments favored the smaller, clamshell kind issue early on, with bigger folding telephones representing 35% and 39% of the market in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The book-style foldables grew to signify 47% of the market in 2022 and claimed roughly half of the sector in the years that adopted. Reputation slowly trended upward, with book-style foldables accounting for 47% of the market in 2023, 51% in 2024, and 52% in 2025.

The present market chief, Samsung, could also be consultant of the shifts anticipated to shake up the {industry} in 2026. Counterpoint Analysis notes that Samsung offered extra Galaxy Z Fold 7 models than Galaxy Z Flip 7 models in the second half of 2025. That could find yourself serving as a snapshot of the altering shopper habits in the foldable market at massive, primarily based on these projections.

Apple’s rumored foldable launch is definitely a consideration, as the report notes {that a} book-style foldable iPhone could “speed up broader market adoption” in the class. For now, these are solely projections, and we’ll should see how foldable telephone fashions promote all through the 12 months for affirmation of this rising development.