How Apple's iPhone Ultra and Samsung's Fold 8 Are Driving 20% Foldable Market Growth in 2026

The average selling price of foldables is forecast to reach $1,485, an 18% increase from 2025, driven largely by the premium positioning of the iPhone Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra . The shipment share of devices priced between $1,600 and $2,000 is expected to nearly double, from 30% of the market in 2025 to 58% in 2026 .

iPhone Ultra: Apple's September 2026 Debut

Apple is widely expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, likely called the "iPhone Ultra," at a September 2026 event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series . The most commonly cited date for the event is September 9 . Key details from the DigiTimes-sourced reporting:

• Apple has reportedly told suppliers to prepare roughly 10 million units for the first year .
• The device is expected to be a book-style foldable, competing directly with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series .
• Caveat: Production hurdles remain. DigiTimes itself has previously reported that Apple faces late-stage manufacturing challenges with the foldable's display and hinge . Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that while the launch event is in September, actual pre-orders may slip into Q4 2026 .
• Even with a limited supply at first, the iPhone Ultra's debut is seen as the single biggest catalyst for the foldable market's 2026 growth .

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Record-Breaking Pre-Orders

Samsung's latest foldable lineup — the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8 — set an all-time Galaxy pre-order record, with 1.44 million units booked in South Korea during the first seven days, surpassing even the Galaxy Note 10's record from 2019 . Other highlights:

• The Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra saw pre-orders 30% higher than the Fold 7, which was itself a record-breaker .
• In Europe, Samsung's newsroom reported pre-orders increased over 20% year-on-year, with the new passport-shaped Fold 8 form factor accounting for nearly 40% of total pre-orders .
• The Galaxy Z Fold 8 alone captured roughly 70% of the total pre-order mix in South Korea, signaling strong demand for the larger book-style design .

Samsung's strong showing is significant because it demonstrates that the foldable market was already growing rapidly before Apple enters, but the DigiTimes report emphasizes that Apple's arrival will further expand the category rather than simply cannibalize Samsung's share .

Q4 2026: The Pivotal Quarter

The fourth quarter of 2026 is expected to be the defining period for the foldable market for several reasons:

• iPhone Ultra shipments begin: Even if Apple announces in September, the bulk of iPhone Ultra sell-in and consumer availability is projected for Q4, meaning the quarter will absorb most of the 10 million units Apple has ordered .
• Peak holiday season: Q4 is the highest-volume quarter for premium smartphones globally. Apple's foldable arriving in a holiday window gives it an outsized impact on the full-year 20% growth figure.
• Cumulative effect: Samsung's Fold 8 sales will continue running through Q4, so the quarter will see both Samsung's volume and Apple's initial shipments stacking together for the first time .
• IDC had previously forecast 30% growth for the entire foldable category in 2026, but the DigiTimes industry sources have settled on 20% as a more conservative baseline that still heavily depends on Q4 execution .

Bottom line: The 20% growth forecast rests on three pillars—Apple's first foldable arriving in September (with Q4 as the crucial volume quarter), Samsung smashing its own pre-order records with the Fold 8 series, and a broader market shift toward premium book-style foldables. Apple's production bottlenecks remain a risk that could shift some volume into early 2027, but the overall trajectory is strongly upward.