Motorola is challenging Samsung in the US foldable market before Apple’s big 2026 revolution

Foldable devices may not be as widespread and popular around the world as many analysts predicted over the last few years, but the market segment is growing at a remarkable pace stateside thanks primarily to Samsung and Motorola, in smaller part to Google, and next year, likely thanks to Apple more than anyone else.

The battle for first place is tightening up all of a sudden

How major? That’s actually hard to say, as Counterpoint’s newest report and graph lacks any firm numbers, but Motorola will likely close the gap to the nation’s top foldable smartphone vendor by the end of this year to only a few percentage points.

Can Apple top the market right off the bat?

Probably not. At least not according to the current expectations, which could however change between now and the end of 2026. As things stand, Samsung is looking at (barely) retaining its US foldable supremacy next year, closely followed by its arch-rival, with Motorola in third place after a pretty steep drop.

If the iPhone Fold doesn’t see daylight next year after all (or it only ends up coming out in limited numbers, as some reports suggest), Counterpoint’s forecast of a huge 51 percent improvement in total US foldable sales for 2026 could well prove wildly inaccurate.

With or without Apple, foldables are here to stay

Yes, I fully believe that Apple has the power to help foldables get to the next level in terms of exposure, marketing, and possibly even build quality, but until the first iPhone Fold arrives, let’s appreciate what we have today… and remember how awkwardly things started just six years ago.

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