Huawei continues to solidify its dominance in the foldable smartphone market, claiming an impressive 70% share, according to recent data from market research firm IDC. As the global smartphone market faces a slight downturn, the foldable segment shows signs of resilience, with shipments of foldable devices expected to rise by 9.2% year-on-year in 2025, reaching approximately 10.01 million units.
Huawei’s Market Leadership Amid Competition
While Huawei remains the leader in the foldable category, the competition is intensifying. Honor, vivo, OPPO, and Samsung each capture less than 10% of the foldable market share. Huawei’s consistent innovation, including its Mate X7 series, has kept it ahead, but there’s a shift on the horizon. Apple, the tech giant, is set to launch its own foldable iPhone by late 2026, which could shake up the market and challenge Huawei’s leading position.
The Rise of Foldables and Apple’s Anticipated Entry
Despite a slight dip in shipments in the fourth quarter of 2025, Huawei’s growth in foldables remains strong. The market slowdown can be attributed to the late release of Huawei’s Mate X7, but with Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone, 2026 is shaping up to be a game-changing year. Apple’s entry into the foldable space is expected to spur competition and may alter the market dynamics significantly. However, Huawei’s established dominance and strong market strategies will be hard to beat.
Challenges in the Foldable Segment and What Lies Ahead
As the foldable phone market matures, challenges remain, including production constraints and the high cost of foldable technology. However, the increasing adoption of foldables as a mainstream device offers promising growth opportunities for Huawei. With Apple entering the foldable market, it will be interesting to see how the industry adapts to these new changes and whether Huawei can maintain its leadership amidst the competition.
Huawei’s impressive 70% market share in foldable smartphones is a testament to its innovation and strategy in this rapidly growing segment. The coming years will be pivotal as new players like Apple attempt to challenge Huawei’s dominance.
