- Book-style foldables have never outsold their clamshell counterparts by more than a few percent, with 52% of buyers choosing larger models in 2025.
- In 2026, book-style foldables are expected to pull away, claiming 65% of the market in Counterpoint Research’s latest projection.
- Corporate goals, memory shortages, and Apple’s expected entry into the market could drive book-style foldable growth this year.
Big-screen foldable phones are set to have a big year, with market research firm Counterpoint Research expecting the form factor to account for the majority of folding phone shipments in 2026. The projections come ahead of Apple’s expected entry into the foldable market later this year. Larger foldables are typically referred to as book- or passport-style foldables, while smaller ones are often called clamshell foldables or simply flip phones. Historically, foldable phone users have chosen between these two form factors in nearly equal numbers, but Counterpoint Research thinks that will change.
The firm’s 2026 projections for the foldable market predict that book-style devices will emerge as the industry-leading form factor, representing 65% of all folding phones shipped. For context, book-style phones represented just 52% of 2025 foldable shipments. Counterpoint Research sees benefits to the form factor on both the sides of the deal. Large foldables sell at higher prices on average, making them appealing to companies. They also feel more premium and enable productivity workflows impossible on traditional smartphones, satisfying customers.