Foldable smartphone market trends and forecasts

Market analysis indicates that foldable smartphones face significant value depreciation, losing approximately 70% of their retail price within the first year of use. This rate is reportedly 10–15 percentage points higher than that of conventional smartphones. Premium models, including Samsung’s Galaxy Z series and Google’s Pixel Fold, have seen resale values drop by at least 57%, with some exceeding 80% loss.

Despite these depreciation challenges, the global foldable market is projected to grow significantly. Omdia forecasts that shipments could reach 36 million units by 2028, doubling the 18.2 million units projected for 2025. This growth is expected to be driven by an estimated annual growth rate of over 20% starting in 2026.

A primary driver for this expansion is the emergence of the ‘wide-screen foldable’ format. Unlike traditional book-style devices, these feature a wider and shorter aspect ratio designed to mimic a small tablet, optimizing multitasking, productivity, and content consumption. Huawei initiated this trend with the Pura X Max in May 2026, followed by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 in August 2026. Although the market experienced a shipment decline during the first half of 2026—specifically within the ‘flip’ model category—the transition toward larger, more functional formats is expected to catalyze growth through 2027 and beyond.