Signal Foldable smartphones grow fast, led by China, but stay near three percent of the market

Summary

KISDI reports, citing Gartner, that on a cumulative basis to the third quarter of 2025 the global foldable smartphone market grew an estimated 46.2 percent and the Chinese foldable market 70.4 percent. China's share of the global foldable market is estimated to have risen from 44.6 percent in 2024 to 47.9 percent in 2025, and the global and Chinese markets are forecast to grow 14.3 percent and 9.2 percent by shipments in 2026. Samsung Electronics kept first place with shares of 43.8, 45.2 and 51.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2025, and competition is expected to intensify as new foldable models arrive. Even so, foldables remain at about three percent of all smartphones, rising only from 3.0 percent in 2025 to 3.4 percent in 2026 on Gartner's estimate. The institute therefore calls for a long-term view and sees the practical usefulness of the foldable form factor amid wider generative AI adoption as the key variable for further spread.