Apple is set to unveil its first foldable iPhone at the company's September 9 product event at 1300 ET.
Ahead of what could be Apple's biggest handset launch in many years, technology market research firm International Data Corporation, better known as IDC, issued a new forecast estimating just how many foldable iPhones Apple could ship during the device's first year.
Bloomberg first reported IDC's estimate that the $2,500 foldable iPhone could generate more than 10 million shipments during its first year.
JUST IN: Apple sets September 9 for its next major launch event, where it is expected to unveil the first foldable iPhone.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) August 26, 2026
Apple's entry into foldable smartphones, a segment of the handset industry first pioneered commercially by Chinese manufacturer Royole with the FlexPai nearly a decade ago, is forecast to help the foldable-phone market grow 12.6% this year, followed by an 18% increase next year. The iPhone maker could capture about 40% of global foldable shipments by 2027, IDC said.
Samsung Electronics launched the first mainstream foldable smartphone seven years ago. The complexity of these handsets commands premium pricing, making the category an attractive revenue stream.
Apple's foldable iPhone launch comes as IDC expect
