Apple’s first foldable iPhone is projected to ship more than 10 million units in its debut year, according to research firm IDC, a forecast that would help reverse a decline in the foldable smartphone category.
The premium device, widely expected to be unveiled in September, would mark Apple’s entry into a segment pioneered by Samsung seven years ago. IDC sees the book-style, or “passport-style,” handset launching at a high price of about $2,500 and still attracting strong demand from affluent buyers.
“I expect the passport-style Apple foldable to be widely successful despite the high $2,500 price tag,” said Nabila Popal, IDC senior research director, in a statement. “A very elite set of consumers are being targeted here, who will be lining up to buy the device.”
Foldable phones remain a small slice of the overall smartphone market, but they carry higher average selling prices. Without Apple, IDC had expected the category to face a double-digit drop this year. The firm now forecasts foldable shipments will rise 12.6% in 2026 and 18% in 2027, with Apple eventually capturing about 40% of the segment by 2027.
The broader smartphone market is under pressure. IDC revised its 2026 outlook to a 16.7% decline, citing rising costs for memory chips and other components that are also used in AI hardware. Those costs are being passed on to consumers, ending the era of inexpensive smartphones, analysts said.
Apple has not officially confirmed the product, its name, or pricing. Earlier supply-chain reports indicated the company raised production plans toward 10 million units after resolving some manufacturing challenges around the hinge and other components. The device is expected to feature a large inner display that unfolds like a book, paired with a cover screen for everyday use.If the forecast holds, Apple’s first foldable would become one of the most closely watched hardware launches of the year, testing whether brand loyalty and software integration can expand a category that has stayed niche despite years of incremental improvements from Android makers.
MacDailyNews Take: If they can make enough! Apple will sell every foldable iPhone it can make next year and still have people lining up to buy.
Apple wasn’t first with fingerprint recognition, they were the first to do it right with Touch ID. Apple wasn’t first with facial recognition, they were the first to do it right with Face ID. Apple wasn’t first with contactless payments, they were the first to do it right with Apple Pay. — MacDailyNews, February 27, 2019
If and when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, they’ll be showing the world how it should be done and what to copy going forward. As usual. — MacDailyNews, February 27, 2019
As with fingerprint and facial recognition, when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, then foldable smartphones will have been done right. — MacDailyNews, January 17, 2019
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