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Apple vs. Huawei: Why September Could Decide the Future of Foldable Phones
Apple’s expected September 9 foldable iPhone and Huawei’s confirmed September 7 Mate XT 2 could accelerate foldable phone adoption, but prices above $2,000 make mainstream demand the biggest uncertainty. Apple is reportedly targeting a book style phone with a roughly 7.8 inch inner display and 5.5 inch cover screen;...
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Key takeaways
- Apple’s expected September 9 foldable iPhone and Huawei’s confirmed September 7 Mate XT 2 could accelerate foldable phone adoption, but prices above $2,000 make mainstream demand the biggest uncertainty.
- Apple is reportedly targeting a book style phone with a roughly 7.8 inch inner display and 5.5 inch cover screen; Huawei is pushing the more ambitious tri fold format.
- Suppliers of ultra thin glass, OLED panels, hinges, flexible circuits, and cooling systems stand to benefit, even as the wider smartphone market faces a projected 14.3% decline in 2026.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: How are Apple’s expected September 9 launch of its first foldable iPhone—reportedly an “iPhone Ultra” with a 7.8-inch internal OLED display,. Article summary: Apple’s entry could turn foldables from a specialist premium niche into a major flagship category, while Huawei’s tri-fold pushes the category toward tablet-like productivity. The immediate winner may be the supply chain. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated, news. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts w
September could become a turning point for foldable phones. Apple has officially scheduled a September 9 event where it is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, reportedly called the “iPhone Ultra.” Huawei, meanwhile, has confirmed a September 7 event for the Mate XT 2 and HarmonyOS 7. 22
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The rivalry matters beyond two premium devices. It could increase demand for specialized components, force manufacturers to improve durability and software, and test whether consumers will pay more than $2,000 for a phone that also acts like a small tablet.
The two launches represent different visions of foldables
Apple’s rumored device is expected to use a book-style design: a conventional outer display for everyday phone use and a larger internal display when opened. Reports point to a roughly 5.5-inch cover screen, a 7.7- to 7.8-inch internal display, an unfolded thickness of about 4.5 to 4.8 millimeters, and a starting price near $2,000, with higher configurations potentially reaching $2,500. None of those specifications or the “iPhone Ultra” name has been confirmed by Apple. 21
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Huawei’s Mate XT 2 takes a different path. The company has confirmed the September 7 launch event and described it as a Mate XT 2 and HarmonyOS 7 product launch. Available reporting identifies the Mate XT 2 as Huawei’s second mass-produced tri-fold phone, although some early discussion has referred to it as a third-generation device. Its detailed hardware specifications remain unconfirmed. 1
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That distinction creates a useful strategic contrast:
- Apple’s book-style design is aimed at making a large-screen iPhone feel like a premium everyday device.
- Huawei’s tri-fold design emphasizes a much larger unfolded workspace and a stronger phone-and-tablet replacement proposition.
Apple may have the greater opportunity to broaden demand through its existing iPhone ecosystem. Huawei, with an earlier focus on tri-fold hardware, can continue to demonstrate how far the form factor can go. The winner will depend less on screen size alone than on crease visibility, hinge reliability, weight, software continuity, repair support, and whether the larger display is genuinely useful.
Component suppliers could be the immediate winners
Foldables are not simply smartphones with flexible screens. Their displays, hinges, batteries, thermal systems, and internal structures must be engineered together. Samsung has described thinner foldables as requiring coordinated changes across the display support structure, hinge, battery, thermal system, and internal architecture. 49
A competitive September launch cycle could therefore lift demand for several specialized parts:
- ultra-thin glass and foldable OLED display stacks;
- precision hinge assemblies;
- flexible printed circuits and compact display modules;
- thinner batteries and structural materials; and
- vapor chambers and other thermal-management components.
The opportunity is likely to be concentrated among suppliers that can deliver both quality and yield at scale. A component that works in a limited prototype run is not enough for a flagship launch; manufacturers need consistent production, low defect rates, and the ability to support repair and replacement demand.
Counterpoint has separately identified crease-free display technology and dual ultra-thin-glass structures as important areas in Apple’s reported foldable strategy. Those details remain part of market reporting rather than Apple-confirmed product specifications, but they illustrate why the display stack may become one of the category’s most valuable competitive battlegrounds. 58
Foldables are growing, but the overall phone market is shrinking
The industry backdrop makes the launch competition unusually complicated. Counterpoint forecasts global smartphone shipments to fall 14.3% year over year in 2026 as component costs rise and affordability weakens. It also reported a 7% year-over-year decline in global smartphone shipments during the second quarter as the memory shortage intensified. 38
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At the same time, foldables remain a growth category. Omdia expects the market to grow by more than 20% annually through 2028 and reach 36 million shipments that year. Omdia reported 18.2 million foldable shipments in 2025, while first-half 2026 shipments reached 5.1 million, down 21.6% year over year. 36
Those figures point to a market that can expand rapidly without yet becoming large enough to offset a broad smartphone contraction. Foldables may gain share and attract investment while conventional phones decline in absolute volume. In practical terms, the category can be strategically important before it becomes a mass-market volume leader.
Why the $2,000 price point is the decisive test
A foldable priced around $2,000 must offer more than novelty. Buyers need to believe that the device replaces enough of a phone, tablet, camera, or productivity tool to justify the premium.
Apple’s ecosystem could help it reach affluent iPhone users who already value continuity across devices and services. Huawei’s tri-fold could strengthen the productivity case by offering a larger working area than a conventional book-style foldable. But both approaches face the same barriers:
- high upfront prices;
- concerns about durability and long-term hinge performance;
- weight and thickness when closed;
- limited app optimization for unusual screen formats; and
- potentially expensive repairs.
Current evidence is not strong enough to conclude that mainstream buyers will sustain demand at these prices. Early interest, supply shortages, and premium-brand loyalty can create a successful launch without proving that foldables are ready for broad adoption.
A crowded September raises execution pressure
Apple and Huawei are not launching in a vacuum. Reporting points to a crowded September flagship cycle involving several major smartphone brands and multiple foldable designs. 51
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That makes execution as important as headline specifications. Vendors will need to secure displays and hinges, manage production yields, avoid delays, and explain what the larger screen enables in daily use. Financing, trade-in programs, accessories, software support, and repair coverage may matter as much as a thinner chassis.
There is also a tension between adoption and profitability. Discounts could make premium foldables more accessible, but rising memory and component costs are already pressuring handset margins. Brands that cannot control manufacturing costs may find that strong attention does not translate into attractive returns.
What this rivalry means for the smartphone industry
The Apple-Huawei contest is unlikely to transform the entire phone market overnight. Its more immediate effects are likely to be technological and strategic:
- Foldables will receive greater consumer attention. Apple’s entry could give the category credibility among buyers who have ignored earlier devices.
- Design standards will rise. Thinness, crease control, hinge feel, durability, and software continuity will become harder for manufacturers to treat as secondary features.
- Specialized suppliers will gain leverage. High-end foldables require difficult-to-source components, particularly when several brands launch at once.
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- The premium segment may become more polarized. Affluent buyers could move toward increasingly expensive large-screen devices while price-sensitive customers face higher costs or fewer choices.
- The tablet replacement argument will be tested. Huawei’s tri-fold and Apple’s larger inner display will show whether consumers value expanded screens enough to change their purchasing habits.
The strongest near-term conclusion is therefore not that foldables have already gone mainstream. It is that Apple and Huawei are about to test the two conditions required for that transition: whether suppliers can manufacture advanced designs reliably and whether consumers see enough practical value to pay a premium. If both answers are yes, September could mark the beginning of a much larger foldable market. If not, the launches may still benefit the component ecosystem while leaving foldables as a fast-growing but specialized niche.
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Apple’s expected September 9 foldable iPhone and Huawei’s confirmed September 7 Mate XT 2 could accelerate foldable phone adoption, but prices above $2,000 make mainstream demand the biggest uncertainty.
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Apple’s expected September 9 foldable iPhone and Huawei’s confirmed September 7 Mate XT 2 could accelerate foldable phone adoption, but prices above $2,000 make mainstream demand the biggest uncertainty. Apple is reportedly targeting a book style phone with a roughly 7.8 inch inner display and 5.5 inch cover screen; Huawei is pushing the more ambitious tri fold format.
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Suppliers of ultra thin glass, OLED panels, hinges, flexible circuits, and cooling systems stand to benefit, even as the wider smartphone market faces a projected 14.3% decline in 2026.