Analyst claims Apple's first foldable iPhone will revive the stagnating foldable space in 2026 and beyond

Rumors surrounding Apple's future foldable devices have been popping up on the internet rather frequently over the last few quarters. The company is expected to come out swinging with its first foldable offering no sooner than 2026, and the rumor mill has hinted at multiple potential form factors.

Prominent display analyst Ross Young reports that the foldable market is slowly stagnating, indicating a downward trend in consumer interest. Samsung, the market leader, has witnessed significantly slower adoption of its recent foldables as opposed to previous cycles. According to him, since Apple holds the crown in the premium smartphone segment, its foldable offering will likely reignite interest and enthusiasm in the foldable space.

Of course, whether or not that leads to fruition remains to be seen. Apple Intelligence was plenty hyped as well, but now that its features are slowly but steadily rolling out in real life, the response from the community has been lukewarm at best, with many questioning the true benefits of many of its components.

It might be argued that a foldable iPhone, perhaps in the style of a Samsung Z Flip6 (currently $999 on Amazon), does not serve any real purpose and is more of a gimmick. A foldable iPad, on the other hand, might just do the trick, amassing the attention of folks who want expansive screen real estate as well as portability, or rather, pocketability. While such a device has been rumored previously, it seems that the aforementioned clamshell variant will be the first to see the light of day. 

That being said, Ross Young appears to be optimistic regarding the future of foldables, forecasting a rather positive future for the contentious product category with upwards of 30% growth in 2026. How that plays out in real life, is yet to be seen.