Book-style foldables are taking over, with Samsung fighting for second place

A new forecast paints a promising picture for the foldable market, with book-style devices predicted to dominate in the coming years. However, Samsung is no longer the market leader in this emerging segment, now trailing behind Huawei in global shipments. Omdia projects that the global foldable smartphone market will expand by over 20% annually through 2028, reaching approximately 36 million units.

In the first half of 2026, shipments hit 5.1 million units, marking a significant 20% decline year-over-year, in part due to the decline in flip phone (clamshell) foldable shipments by 47%. Book-style foldables have gained traction, accounting for 69% of foldable shipments in the first half of 2026. Samsung's flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8 is set to boost future growth.

Yet, Samsung's dominance has shifted, as Huawei now leads with 57% of global foldable shipments, compared to Samsung's 18%. This disparity, even considering only the first half of 2026, highlights Samsung's considerable loss of market share. The Chinese manufacturer's stronghold remains limited to sales within China, while brands like Honor, Oppo, and Vivo round out the foldable market.

Despite their increasing popularity, foldables are projected to remain a tiny fraction of the overall smartphone market by 2030, accounting for less than 3%, or around 45 million units globally.