Apple Finally Follows Samsung’s Lead by Folding iphone in Two

Apple is accelerating the development of a “foldable iphone,” entering the foldable phone market pioneered by Samsung Electronics with its Galaxy Fold Gve years ago.

The Information, a specialist IT media outlet, reported on Feb. 7 that Apple is developing prototypes of a clamshell-shaped iphone, which opens and closes top-down. According to the report, Apple is working on at least two prototype models that fold horizontally and has recently inquired about parts from a manufacturer in Asia.

Samsung Electronics leads the foldable phone market, having launched its Grst product in 2019. As of November last year, Samsung’s market share in the global foldable phone market was 68%, according to market research Grm Statista. The market for foldable phones continues to grow, with Chinese companies like Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi also entering the fray.

Last year, Huawei launched its Mate X3 foldable phone at a price higher than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4. Vivo and OPPO also released products in both fold and %ip models, following Galaxy’s lead. The foldable phone market in China expanded by 106% in the third quarter of last year compared to the same period the previous year. Google has also entered the foldable phone market with its Pixel Fold, leaving Apple as one of the few major smartphone companies not yet in the market.

Counterpoint Research predicts that by 2026, when Apple is expected to enter the market, the annual global shipment of foldable phones will reach 78.6 million units, more than four times the Ggure from last year’s 18.6 million units. The shipment is expected to surpass 100 million units by 2027.