After six years on the market, foldable phones are entering 2026 with fresh designs and renewed momentum, even as they remain a niche within the broader smartphone industry.
Market research firm IDC projected in December that global foldable phone shipments will grow 10% in 2025 compared with 2024. That growth is expected to accelerate to about 30% year over year in 2026, helped in part by widespread rumors of a foldable iPhone from Apple.
Samsung and Huawei are among the manufacturers pushing the category forward. Samsung, which helped popularize the format with its Flip and Fold lines, has introduced a TriFold device and is reported to be working on a wider-style model often referred to as the “Wide Fold.” Huawei, meanwhile, has released its own trifold, the Mate XT, and a distinctive wide-screen flip phone, the Pura X.
Huawei led China’s foldable phone market with a 68.9% share in the third quarter of 2025, according to IDC figures reported by MyDrivers. That is a dominant position in what is still a relatively small but increasingly competitive segment that also includes Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and others.
By 2026, the market is expected to feature four main types of foldable phones: flip-style, book-style, trifold and wide-screen foldables. Together, they aim to offer more compact devices that can open into larger displays for video, reading and productivity.
Flip phones
Flip-style foldables, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip line and Motorola’s Razr models, target users who want a full-size smartphone screen in a compact body. These devices typically fold vertically to become more pocketable, while still offering an internal display around 6.7 to 6.9 inches—similar to conventional slab phones.
Book-style foldables
Book-style foldables, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V5, open horizontally to reveal a mini-tablet-sized display. Huawei’s Mate X7, launched in December 2025, is the most recent example of this format.
Advances in hinge engineering and the use of silicon-carbon anode batteries have helped reduce crease depth and overall thickness, bringing these devices closer in profile to traditional smartphones. Their squarish unfolded aspect ratios are well-suited to web browsing, reading and multitasking, though they can introduce letterboxing when playing widescreen video. Many models can be partially folded and propped up without a stand, which can be useful for watching content or video calls.
Trifold designs
Trifold phones are the newest and most complex form factor so far. Recent examples include Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold and Huawei’s Mate XT, which use two hinges to create a three-part display.
The Huawei Mate XT can function as a standard phone, a compact mini-tablet and a wider 16:11 tablet-style screen, aiming to consolidate multiple devices into one. Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold, by contrast, is designed primarily to deliver a large, wide-screen tablet experience of around 10 inches when fully unfolded, while still fitting in a pocket when closed. It focuses on productivity and media consumption rather than offering an intermediate mini-tablet configuration.
Wide-screen foldables
Wide-screen foldables are emerging as a distinct category that emphasizes landscape use and video. Huawei’s Pura X is an early example, featuring a 6.3-inch inner display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. That shape reduces black bars when playing 16:9 video and also works well for reading in portrait orientation.
The design seeks to balance pocketability with a versatile viewing experience. The large cover screen can double as a substantial viewfinder for selfies using the rear cameras, while avoiding the bulk of some book-style foldables.
Apple is widely rumored to be pursuing a similar approach for an iPhone Fold, reportedly with a larger cover display. Samsung is also said to be developing a new wide-style foldable with a 4:3 inner screen. According to a report from ETnews, this device could feature a 5.4-inch cover screen and support 25-watt wireless charging.
If launched alongside a presumed Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, potentially in July 2026, Samsung’s wide-screen foldable could reach the market before Apple’s first foldable, which is rumored for the fall.
A more diverse phone lineup in 2026
Trifold and wide-screen models are expected to carry premium price tags, at least initially. Still, the growing variety of form factors signals renewed experimentation in a smartphone market long dominated by rectangular slab designs.
As 2026 approaches, foldable devices are poised to offer consumers more choice in size, design and functionality—ranging from compact flip phones to tablet-class trifolds—potentially reshaping expectations of what a phone can be.