Apple has been rumored for years to be working on a folding iPhone. In fact, the first foldable iPhone is expected to be unveiled this year.
According to a new CNET survey of U.S. smartphone owners conducted in late April/early May 2026, interest in these new form factors exists but remains far from overwhelming. Of course, this is prior to Apple’s releases and subsequent marketing effort.
The survey of 2,407 U.S. smartphone owners found that 14% said they would be motivated to upgrade specifically for “new phone designs, such as a foldable or flip phone.” Practical concerns still dominate: price (55%) and longer battery life (52%) ranked much higher, while AI features sat at just 12%.
For Apple, however, even this 14% interest level represents a massive opportunity when applied to its enormous installed base.
Apple currently has approximately 1.6 billion active iPhones worldwide. If iPhone owners mirror the overall U.S. smartphone population’s interest in foldables — a reasonable assumption given Apple’s track record of popularizing premium features — that 14% equates to roughly 224 million potential folding iPhone sales.
To put that number in context: Apple shipped a record 247 million iPhones in 2025. A folding model that successfully captured the interest of just 14% of existing owners could nearly match an entire year’s current shipment volume — all from upgrades within Apple’s own ecosystem.
Of course, not every interested owner will upgrade right away. Pricing, reliability, trade-in offers, and carrier promotions will all influence actual conversion rates. The survey also reflects U.S. respondents, while Apple’s user base is global. Still, the raw potential is enormous: 224 million units is the kind of upside that could significantly boost Apple’s growth in a saturated smartphone market.
Samsung has sold tens of millions of foldables over the past several years, yet they still make up only a small percentage of total smartphone sales. Most buyers continue to prioritize battery life, camera improvements, and especially value over novel designs.
The CNET data makes one thing clear for Apple: a folding iPhone doesn’t need universal appeal to be a major success. Capturing even a committed slice of its user base would be enough to drive record-breaking upgrade cycles and open a powerful new revenue stream.
MacDailyNews Take: The math is compelling. Apple already has the customer base. It simply needs to deliver a durable, desirable folding iPhone experience compelling enough to convert that 14% curiosity into purchases. (And, again, that 14% will grow with the foldable iPhone’s unveiling and marketing.) If it does, 224 million potential sales makes the long wait for a folding iPhone very worthwhile for both Apple and iPhone users.
Now, that you’ve read our report and Take, please go to CNET and read how differently they approach the numbers they found here. Keep in mind that CNET never mentions just how many iPhone users are represented by 14%.
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