Flip phones are reigniting the smartphone wars
The iPhone remains king, but flip phones are spurring innovation and gaining momentum with consumers.
"There is quite a bit of buzz around this," Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee told Business Insider. Still, he said foldables remain niche, representing 1% to 2% of the smartphone market.
Companies including Samsung, Motorola, and Google have ventured into foldable or flippable smartphones — Samsung with the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, Motorola with its Razr flip phones, and Google with its Pixel Fold models.
In July, Samsung's latest foldable and flippable models, the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7, hit a milestone. The company said total preorders for both models were up 25% compared to previous generations.
That momentum reflects broader gains. Research firm Canalys estimated that Samsung's smartphone shipments to the US surged 38% year over year during the second quarter, while Google's shipments grew 13%, and Motorola's edged up 2%.
Apple's smartphone shipments, by contrast, outpaced competitors by volume but fell 11% year over year, according to the Canalys report. The company front-loaded shipments earlier in the year, ahead of looming tariffs.
One giant player remains missing from the flexible phone race: Apple. Analysts say its potential entry could transform the category.
A July analyst note from J.P. Morgan predicted Apple will launch a book-style foldable phone as part of its iPhone 18 lineup in September 2026, based on the analysts' supply chain checks. The analysts expect the price to be around $1,999 — matching the starting price of Samsung's Fold7.
"If Apple offers a foldable, it will unlock much greater levels of adoption in the US market," Chatterjee said.
For now, Apple can afford to wait.
The iPhone continues to dominate global sales. In the first quarter of 2025, five of the 10 best-selling smartphones in the world were iPhones, market research firm Counterpoint Research found.
And history suggests Apple doesn't need to rush into the flip phone game to win. The popular Apple Watch wasn't the first smartwatch on the market, but it still leads the smartwatch market with 20% of global shipments in the first quarter, according to Counterpoint Research.
"Apple will wait and see and won't be afraid to be a follower in the foldable market if it detects an opportunity," Chatterjee told Business Insider.
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