Apple’s imaginary foldable is already beating Samsung in North America, on paper

Apple hasn't made any announcements regarding a foldable iPhone, but countless rumors say it will join this premium segment by the end of 2026. Despite these uncertainties, some market watchers already believe Apple will dominate the North American foldable phone market by the end of the year.

A recent paper from Counterpoint Research suggests Apple could quickly become the top foldable phone brand in North America once its first device debuts.

At the same time, the analysts predict Apple's entry could almost immediately cut Samsung's foldable market share in the region by nearly half.

Last year, Samsung held 51% of the North American foldable market, followed by Motorola at 44% and Google at 5%.

But once Apple's foldable iPhone arrives, it is projected to capture 46% of the market. Samsung's share in the NA region could drop to 29%, while Motorola and Google may fall to 23% and 3%, respectively.

Despite the potential shake-up, the North American foldable market is still expected to grow 48% year-on-year.

Interestingly, Google, rather than Samsung, could feel more pressure from Apple's entry later this year. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z 8 series this summer, months ahead of Apple's rumored debut.

Meanwhile, Apple's foldable launch could coincide with Google's next foldable release. Apart from the time of release, Google may also be at a disadvantage simply because it offers only one foldable series, while Samsung has a broader lineup that could expand further with a new “Wide” form factor.

All that said, Apple's foldable plans for 2026 are far from certain. At least one recent report suggests the company could delay the launch until 2027 due to engineering setbacks. So, whether or not Apple will take over the foldable phone market in 2026 is to be determined.