China's foldable smartphone market is poised for steady growth this year, driven by the gradual improvement of flexible screens, design innovations and rollout of new products, experts said.

Data from market consultancy Sigmaintell Consulting show that shipments of foldable screens in the Chinese market are likely to rise from about 10 million units in 2025 to 12 million units in 2026, given that Apple is expected to launch its long-awaited foldable iPhone.

Chen Jun, executive deputy general manager and chief analyst at Sigmaintell, said the prices of foldable smartphones are relatively high currently due to the high supply chain costs, and that foldables produced by some domestic phone makers are priced at around 9,000 yuan ($1,300).

Chen forecasted that the prices of foldables will not drop significantly in the short term and will continue to maintain an upward trajectory, as there is a noticeable increase in the prices of smartphones' internal storage and chips.

Shipments of global foldable panels are projected to grow from around 17 million units in 2025 to about 24 million units in 2026, Chen said, adding that book-type foldables have a higher acceptance among consumers compared to clamshell-style foldable handsets.

Global foldable smartphone panel shipments are expected to grow 46 percent year-on-year in 2026, driven by Apple's procurement for its first foldable, according to a report released by market consultancy Counterpoint Research.

"Apple is the key driver as it starts to procure panels for its first foldable iPhone," said Guillaume Chansin, associate director of Counterpoint Research. "We also think a foldable iPhone is going to reinvigorate the broader market, helping to massively grow panel shipments in 2026."

In terms of form factors, panel shipments will move in sync with smartphone trends, with book-type panels solidifying their dominant position in 2026, the report said.

"We are moving into a new era where book-type foldables will be the main form factor for the segment," Chansin said. "This is significant for the foldable panel sector on several levels. It means we will see a material bump in average selling prices next year, and it is also a huge boon for Samsung Display, which will see its market share rise past the 50 percent mark."

The consultancy expected global foldable smartphone shipments to grow 14 percent year-on-year in 2025 and to grow 38 percent in 2026, with the book-type form factor dominating.

Book-type models have led the expansion of global foldable smartphone shipments, fueled by the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the continued strength of Huawei's Mate X series.

It noted that this shift is also happening in China, with book-type phones becoming the main foldable form factor despite higher price points. "Consumers want tablet-like productivity and all the other benefits big screens bring, and this is pushing buyers toward larger inner displays and the improved usability of book-type designs," said Liz Lee, associate director at the consultancy.

Moreover, artificial intelligence has quickly become part of the smartphone discussion, sparking new interest in next-generation AI experiences on handheld devices, industry insiders said.

Among the many smartphone focus areas of the past decade, foldables stand out because they offer something highly tangible consumers can see and feel. In a market where it has become harder for consumers to perceive major upgrades, the display is one of the highly noticeable last frontiers, said market research company Omdia.

Foldable smartphones are a proving ground for whether hardware research and development can still deliver meaningful differentiation in an industry where the gravitational pull is shifting toward software, AI and services as the core revenue drivers, Omdia added.

It identified Apple's potential entry into the foldable market, anticipated for 2026, as the primary catalyst for the next phase of significant growth."Display suppliers are overcoming these challenges by systematically reducing the thickness of the entire foldable display module," said Jerry Kang, practice leader at Omdia.

"After more than six years of manufacturing experience, suppliers have optimized key components like ultrathin glass and supporting films. This not only enables sleeker device designs, but also improves durability, directly addressing key points of consumer resistance and paving the way for wider adoption."

An entry from Apple would fundamentally validate the foldable category and ignite demand far beyond the current Android ecosystem, Kang said. "The introduction of a foldable iPhone is expected to expand the entire market and it will be the key inflection point we are forecasting for post-2026 growth."