IT House reported on August 27 that Bloomberg published a blog post today (August 27), citing data from market research agency IDC, which estimated that Apple’s first foldable phone (which is expected to be called iPhone Ultra after launch) will ship 10 million units in the first year.
IT House searched the original text of the IDC report and found no relevant data statement for 10 million units. The “first year” estimated by Bloomberg should refer to the calculation after the iPhone Ultra is launched, not the shipment volume in 2026.
In the IDC report, the agency believes that Apple’s entry into the folding mobile phone market has boosted the rapid growth of the global folding mobile phone market. It is estimated that the folding screen mobile phone market will reach 22.9 million units in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 12.6%; it is estimated to reach 27 million units in 2027, a year-on-year increase of 18%.
IDC believes that Apple’s entry into foldable phones will not only accelerate the launch of new mobile phones in the mobile phone industry and intensify market competition, but also transform a market segment that may have shrunk into the fastest growing area in the entire industry.
Nabila Popal, senior research director for IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report, believes:
Apple’s entry into the foldable screen mobile phone market not only revived the previous slowdown in this market segment, but also fundamentally changed the development trajectory of the market.
Without Apple, shipments of foldable screen phones would decline at a double-digit rate year after year. We predict that by 2027, Apple’s foldable screen iPhone shipments will exceed 17 million units, accounting for approximately 40% of the global foldable screen mobile phone market.
With an average selling price of more than US$2,550 (IT Home Note: approximately RMB 17,181 at the current exchange rate), Apple is expected to create a market value of more than US$45.7 billion (approximately RMB 307.918 billion at the current exchange rate), accounting for more than half of the total value of the category.
In particular, Apple is expected to challenge Huawei and Samsung for leadership in a market they have long dominated, a remarkable achievement for a product expected to be available for less than two years.
