Why You Can Trust CNET Foldables Predicted to Hit 100M Shipments in 2027 as Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold 5, Flip 5
Apple is expected to launch a foldable in 2025.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
With Samsung revealing the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 on Wednesday, analyst firm Counterpoint Research has estimated that the popularity of foldable phones will boom over the next five years.
Around 18.6 million foldable phones will be shipped this year, and shipments will almost double to 35.7 million next year before rising dramatically to 55 million in 2025, 79 million in 2026 and finally 101.5 million in 2027, Counterpoint estimates.
Samsung's next-generation foldable phones were unveiled in South Korea during the tech giant's Galaxy Unpacked event Wednesday morning, alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 and Galaxy Watch 6.
Counterpoint predicts Samsung and Apple will dominate the foldable phones market, even though Apple has not announced a foldable phone yet. Apple's rumored iPhone Flip is not expected until 2025.
"In the long term, we are waiting to see what Apple does," Counterpoint Senior Analyst Jene Park said in a statement. "We are looking at 2025 as the possible year of iPhone's foldable debut, which could provide another growth spurt for the segment."
Here are the best Galaxy Z Fold 5 preorder deals.
