Apple is preparing an entire lineup of foldable smartphones to expand beyond the initial iPhone Duo. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman reports that the company plans to release foldable devices across multiple price tiers over the next decade. The broader market shift could turn bendable screens into the dominant mobile form factor.
Foldable phones currently make up just 2% of the global smartphone market. That is about to change. Gurman predicts that figure will surge over the next 10 years as buyers look for large displays that can fit into a pocket and replace tablets or laptops. As production costs drop, Apple plans to introduce various foldable options rather than keeping the technology locked to 1 expensive model.
Market data supports this shift. Counterpoint Research estimates that the foldable smartphone sector will grow by 24% throughout the remainder of 2026 and expand by another 37% in 2027. The research firm expects Apple to capture 40% of the entire foldable market by the end of 2027.
Following the iPhone Duo presentation, Apple leader John Ternus addressed why the company waited so long to enter the foldable space. Ternus explained that the delay stemmed from strict internal standards for durability and hardware reliability. He pointed out that engineers spent years developing the hardware and software together as a unified system before greenlighting the project.
