With Apple reportedly preparing to unveil its first foldable iPhone on September 9, Bloomberg indicates that IDC holds a positive outlook for the device’s inaugural year performance. Here are the specifics.
IDC Optimistic About iPhone Ultra First-Year Shipments
At its upcoming “Surprise and shine” event next month, Apple is widely anticipated to introduce its first book-style foldable iPhone, rumored to carry a price tag around $2,500.
Despite long-standing skepticism surrounding the category, Counterpoint Research recently projected that book-type foldables will comprise 76% of global foldable smartphone shipments in 2026, up from 52% in 2025, with Apple’s entry driving overall market growth of 21% year over year.
Now, IDC (via Bloomberg) has released an equally optimistic estimate of how many foldable iPhones Apple will ship in its first year on the market.
According to Bloomberg, IDC senior research director Nabila Popal expects Apple to “deliver more than 10 million shipments in its first year,” even with the high price.
For comparison, Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8, which features a passport-like aspect ratio similar to Apple’s reported design, starts at $1,899 with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM.
A recent Counterpoint Research report noted that while Samsung led the foldable market in 2025 with a 40% share, its share is projected to fall to 32% in 2026, with Apple expected to capture 25% of shipments that year.
It’s worth noting that Counterpoint’s projection covers only the 2026 calendar year, whereas IDC’s estimate of over 10 million shipments spans the foldable iPhone’s entire first year of availability.
Nevertheless, both reports indicate a bullish outlook for the iPhone Ultra’s performance.
Looking forward, IDC states that Apple’s entry into foldables will help “avert a double-digit percentage decline for foldables this year,” adding the category “will grow 12.6% this year and accelerate to an 18% increase next year.”
IDC also predicts that Apple “will eventually account for 40% of all foldable shipments in 2027.”
To read Bloomberg’s full report, follow this link.
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