A new report from Trend Force predicts that Apple's recently announced iPhone Duo will capture nearly 30% of the global foldable smartphone market by 2027. The firm initially projected 5 million shipments of the first foldable iPhone by the end of 2026, accounting for 24.8% of the segment. At the time, Trend Force expected the overall foldable market to grow only 0.5% in 2026, with Android brands seeing shipments decline over 20% year over year.
However, the market is projected to reach 23.5 million shipments in 2027, a 16.3% increase, with Apple's entry potentially driving growth through foldable technology improvements and new AI use cases. With the iPhone Duo now shipping for nearly a week, Trend Force reiterated its projections, forecasting Apple will capture 29.8% of the foldable smartphone market in 2027. Trend Force notes Apple's greatest advantage lies in its ability to integrate chips, operating systems, and its developer ecosystem.
As app compatibility and hardware reliability improve, the Duo is expected to expand the practical value of foldable displays, shifting competition from form-factor innovation toward multitasking efficiency. If projections hold, Apple will hold second place in 2027 behind Samsung, whose share is expected to fall from 35.1% in 2026 to 31.9%, and ahead of Huawei, projected to drop from 24.8% to 21.3%.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing