Foldable phones have been on sale for years and still account for only about 2% of the smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research, as reported by 9to5Mac. Until September 2026, Apple had stayed out of the category. That changed on September 9, when it announced the iPhone Duo.
Apple’s entry does not make foldables cheaper. It pulls the market toward larger, book-style devices that cost close to $2,000, and forecasters expect the average price of a foldable to climb as a result. Here is what Apple launched, what the rivals changed, and what the forecasts say about demand and prices.
Trend Signal
72/100 Strong momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Apple joins as foldable prices move higher
IDC, as reported by 9to5Mac in August 2026, expects foldable shipments to grow 12.6% in 2026 with Apple’s entry, while Counterpoint Research projects an 18% rise in the category’s average wholesale price.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- $1,999iPhone Duo starting price; preorders October 16, in stores October 23, 2026Apple
- +18%Counterpoint forecast rise in foldable average wholesale price in 2026, to $1,485Counterpoint Research
- 12.6%IDC forecast growth in global foldable shipments in 20269to5Mac, citing IDC
- 201gGalaxy Z Fold8 weight, down from 253g for the Galaxy Z Fold5Samsung
What Apple actually launched
The iPhone Duo is a book-style foldable with a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, both with ProMotion and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Apple says the hinge uses more than 100 components, the frame is Grade 5 titanium, and the phone is rated IP68. It describes the unfolded phone as the thinnest iPhone ever, and says a nano-texture finish on the inner display minimizes crease visibility, which stops short of claiming no crease.
Pricing starts at $1,999, with storage options of 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. Preorders open October 16, and the phone goes on sale October 23, 2026 in more than 70 countries. Apple quotes up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and says the phone works with MagSafe and Qi2 chargers.
The price came in below some expectations. Before the launch, 9to5Mac cited rumors of about $2,500, and IDC had projected an average selling price near that level.
Why foldable prices are rising, not falling
Counterpoint Research forecast in June 2026 that the average selling price of foldable phones will rise 18% in 2026, to $1,485, and 29% above 2024. Its figures are based on wholesale prices, so they sit below what shoppers pay at the register, but they show the direction clearly.
The driver is mix. Counterpoint says clamshell foldables have become cheaper as more brands entered and production scaled, while book-style models stay at the high end as brands add larger displays, better hinges and bigger batteries. It expects the share of foldables with wholesale prices between $1,600 and $2,000 to nearly double, from 30% of shipments in 2025 to 58% in 2026, with models at $2,000 or more slipping from 3% to 2%.
At retail, the two newest book-style launches sit close together: Apple set the iPhone Duo at $1,999, and Samsung priced the Galaxy Z Fold 8 from $1,899 with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM when it went on sale in August 2026, according to 9to5Mac. Counterpoint said Apple’s entry should keep market attention on high-priced models.
For book-style foldables, the entry price is settling near $1,900 to $2,000; the cheaper route is a clamshell.
The hardware gap has narrowed
The main complaints about foldables were weight and thickness, and both have improved. Samsung’s original Galaxy Fold in 2019 weighed 276 grams and measured 17.1mm thick. The Galaxy Z Fold8 weighs 201 grams, 52 grams lighter than the Z Fold5, and the Z Fold8 Ultra weighs 215 grams at 8.9mm with a 5,000mAh battery, Samsung says.
Samsung also changed the shape. 9to5Google’s review describes the Z Fold 8’s wider 16:10 outer display and 4:3 inner display, with shipping from August 7, 2026. The same review criticizes the lack of a telephoto lens and of built-in Qi2 magnets, and calls the crease drastically improved but still there.
Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold, on sale from August 20, 2026, is rated IP68 for dust and water and charges wirelessly at up to 25W with Qi2.2, according to Google, which says it is about 10% lighter than the previous model.
How big the market could get
Forecasters agree on direction, not on size. IDC, as reported by Bloomberg and summarized by 9to5Mac, expects foldable shipments to grow 12.6% in 2026 and 18% the following year, and said Apple’s entry will help the category avoid a double-digit decline in 2026. IDC expects Apple to ship more than 10 million foldable iPhones in the device’s first year.
Counterpoint, in a September 2026 note reported by 9to5Mac, forecast foldable growth of 24% in 2026 and 37% the following year. It expects up to 6 million Apple foldables in 2026, a 25% share that would place Apple second behind Samsung at 38% and ahead of Huawei at 22%, before Apple’s share reaches 40% the following year.
Even on those forecasts, foldables stay a small part of the phone market in the near term. The shift is in who sells them and at what price, more than in how many people carry one.
Who should buy a foldable now
Buyers who want a small tablet in a pocket have the widest choice so far, across Samsung, Google and, from October 23, Apple. Samsung’s Z Fold 8 and Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold are already shipping, so reviews and early owner reports exist for both.
Buyers set on the iPhone Duo face first-generation risk. Apple’s claims about the hinge, crease and battery are the maker’s own until independent reviews arrive after October 23. Waiting a few weeks costs little, since preorders only open October 16.
Price-sensitive buyers should look at clamshells, the one part of the category where Counterpoint says prices have come down. Whatever the style, budget for a case that protects the hinge and check whether the phone supports magnetic chargers, since the Z Fold 8 does not.
What to watch next
- Independent iPhone Duo reviews after October 23, 2026, especially on crease visibility and hinge durability.
- Holiday 2026 pricing on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold as Apple enters the same price band.
- IDC and Counterpoint fourth-quarter 2026 counts, to see whether Apple’s first months track the 6 million to 10 million forecasts.
Where to start
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Foldable accessories compared on what they protect
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Foldable case with hinge protection | Fits protecting the hinge | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Outer screen protector for foldables | Fits the outer screen | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Wireless charging stand for foldables | Fits desk charging | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
Foldable case with hinge protection
Where to look: Amazon
The first accessory for any foldable. Buy for the exact generation, since shapes changed in 2026.
- Covers the most exposed part
- Adds grip to a slippery frame
- Adds thickness to a thin phone
- Fit is model-specific
Outer screen protector for foldables
Where to look: Amazon
For the outer display. Check the listing names your model and which screen it is for.
- Protects the screen used most
- Inexpensive to replace
- Must match exact dimensions
- Does not cover the inner screen
Wireless charging stand for foldables
Where to look: Amazon
Useful if the phone supports wireless charging well. The Z Fold 8 lacks Qi2 magnets, so magnetic stands need a magnetic case.
- Holds the phone upright
- No cable to plug in
- Coil position varies by model
- Magnetic stands need magnets
More: Tech and Gadgets trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- Apple unveils iPhone Duo — Apple Newsroom
- Global foldable smartphone ASP to rise 18% YoY in 2026 — Counterpoint Research
- iPhone Fold could help raise average foldable phone prices by 18% — 9to5Mac
- How many foldable iPhones IDC expects Apple to ship in one year — 9to5Mac
- Apple will quickly become a dominant player in folding phones, per Counterpoint — 9to5Mac
- From 253g to 201g: the engineering behind a thinner, lighter Galaxy Z Fold — Samsung Newsroom
- Review: the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s new shape — 9to5Google
- Google’s most sophisticated foldable: Pixel 11 Pro Fold — Google
Questions readers ask
How much does the iPhone Duo cost?
It starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage, according to Apple. Preorders open October 16, 2026 and it goes on sale October 23, 2026 in more than 70 countries.
Are foldable phones getting cheaper?
Clamshell foldables have, according to Counterpoint Research, but book-style models have not, and Counterpoint expects the overall average foldable price, measured at wholesale, to rise 18% in 2026 to $1,485 as book-style models gain share.
Does the Galaxy Z Fold 8 support Qi2 magnetic charging?
No. 9to5Google’s review criticizes the phone’s lack of built-in Qi2 magnets and notes that magnetic chargers will need a case or alignment ring to work with it.
How many foldable iPhones will Apple sell?
Forecasts vary. IDC expects more than 10 million in the first year of availability, while Counterpoint expects up to 6 million in calendar 2026, both as reported by 9to5Mac.
