Android book-style foldables expected to dominate in 2026, report says

New research predicts that the Android and iOS foldable markets will be dominated by book-style devices rather than smaller clamshell designs, and manufacturers are already placing greater emphasis on premium, productivity-focused devices.

The latest report, courtesy of Counterpoint Research, predicts that larger foldables, like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series or Google’s Pixel Fold lineup, will make up 65% of the global foldable market. The minority of that market share is made up of smaller foldables that users tend to refer to as “clamshell” devices.

The report notes that 2026 is expected to represent a shift to a “sustainable expansion phase” for OEMs like Samsung and Google. Android manufacturers have been running a sort of experiment within their respective product lineups. For instance, Samsung has offered the Galaxy Z Flip alongside its Fold series, though recent reports suggest that Samsung is willing to bet on the larger foldable for a few reasons.

That lines up with the current statistics, putting large foldables at a 52% market share in 2025. That’s even as book-style foldables are much more expensive, creating a larger barrier to entry. The growth in that form-factor indicates users are prioritizing productivity devices with more premium specifications, as most large foldables come with high-end specs by default.

That doesn’t account for Apple, as it hasn’t released its own foldable yet. When it does, it’s expected to be a large device, with the company omitting a clamshell design, though it would no doubt be a flashy product category.

It’s also predicted that these OEMs are aiming at higher profitability as increasing manufacturer costs cause some concern. The more expensive, premium devices will be the best bet for manufacturers. Of course, foldables tend to hover upwards of $2,000 – double the cost of most flagship devices.

A 62% share for large foldables over smaller ones comes as a projection. The actual data for 2026 isn’t available yet. Still, it’s part of the broader trend of deprioritizing clamshell devices.