Samsung dominates the foldable market after Galaxy Z Fold 7 stopped the bleeding

Ben Schoon | Dec 4 2025 - 7:25 am PT

Samsung, as the first-mover in the foldable market, always held a strong position in the market, but it’s no secret that prior generations were putting the company on a path to second place. Following the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, though, Samsung has reestablished its dominance over the foldable market according to the latest numbers.

Counterpoint Research reports that Samsung made up 64% of the global foldable market in Q3 2025, up from 56% the year prior. That’s a huge increase, with Samsung’s overall shipment volume increasing by 32% on the back of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7.

OEM performance further underscored the outsized influence of the Samsung Galaxy Z cycle this quarter. In particular, the Z Fold7’s slimmer frame, lighter hardware, improved hinge durability and reduced crease visibility broadened its premium appeal and drove a stronger-than-expected uplift.

The increase is also despite nearly every other major player – Huawei, Motorola, and Vivo – seeing marked improvements to their shipment volume as well. Honor and Xiaomi, though, did see considerable drops in their shipment totals.

It just goes to show, yet again, that Samsung’s efforts to drastically improve the Galaxy Z Fold 7 paid off. In a prior comparison in Q2, ahead of the Fold 7’s launch, Samsung foldable shipments were behind both Huawei and Motorola.

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There’s no mention of Google’s Pixel Fold series here, though that’s not exactly a surprise, as Pixel remains a niche player in this already-niche portion of the smartphone market.

The report goes on to point out that existing brands such as Samsung and Huawei are “demonstrating clear technology leadership and sharpening product differentiation strategies” ahead of Apple’s expected foldable iPhone launch next year, pointing to Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold as an example.