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iPhone Fold expected to fuel rebound in foldable phone panel shipments
9to5Mac • • technology
Key Points:
- Counterpoint Research forecasts a 24% increase in foldable smartphone panel shipments in 2026, driven largely by Apple’s anticipated entry into the foldable phone market, with revenues expected to rise by around 48% year-over-year.
- Foldable panel shipments declined 7% in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025, mainly due to brand inventory control and fewer new product launches.
- BOE led the market in Q1 2026 with a 45% shipment share, followed by Samsung Display at 22%, Visionox at 16%, TCL CSOT at 13%, and Tianma at 4%, which experienced a significant 578% year-over-year growth.
- Samsung Display is rumored to be the sole supplier for Apple’s first foldable iPhone panels, contributing to Samsung’s 37% year-over-year shipment growth and a 7 percentage point market share increase in Q1 2026.
- Counterpoint analysts highlight the shift from clamshell to in-fold designs as mainstream in 2026, driven by productivity and larger-screen use cases, with Apple’s launch expected to be a major catalyst for foldables re-entering a growth cycle in the second half of the year.
