If you've been waiting for Apple to finally make a foldable iPhone, you're not alone. According to Counterpoint Research, the foldable phone market is about to get a whole lot more interesting — and competitive.

Counterpoint expects global foldable smartphone shipments to jump 21% in 2026 compared to last year. The big reason? Apple's anticipated entry into the category, along with growing demand for premium book-style foldables and more vendors jumping in.

Here's how the market share pie is expected to look: Samsung Electronics (OTC: SSNLF) will still be the leader with 32% of the market, though that's down from 40% in 2025. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is projected to snag 25% in its very first year. Huawei is expected to hold 24%, while Motorola and HONOR round out the list at 8% and 3%, respectively.

Counterpoint Associate Director Liz Lee called 2026 a turning point for foldables. "Apple's entry is expected to lift overall consumer awareness and raise the benchmark for premium foldables, but Samsung still has a clear advantage in product maturity, channel reach and foldable user experience," Lee said.

Lee also noted that Samsung's upcoming wider foldable design could improve multitasking and AI-assisted workflows by offering more usable screen space — a key differentiator as Apple prepares to enter the market.

Speaking of AI, Counterpoint pointed out that larger displays are becoming more important as AI assistants evolve beyond simple chatbots into tools that summarize documents, edit content, manage schedules, and perform tasks across multiple apps. Wider foldables could become increasingly attractive for productivity-focused users.

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event is expected to be a major catalyst for the category. The company is anticipated to unveil the Galaxy Z8 Flip, Galaxy Z8 Fold, and a wider book-style foldable device — all before Apple's expected market entry.

As for Apple's stock, shares were down 0.53% in premarket trading Thursday at $324.16, approaching its 52-week high of $334.99.