Samsung Still Leads — But Foldable Rivals Are Closing In Fast

The foldable smartphone market in North America is experiencing rapid growth, according to a report from Counterpoint Research. The firm revealed that the market expanded by 28% year-over-year in 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing regions globally. This growth is attributed to increasing competition and the anticipated entry of Apple Inc. into the foldable smartphone market.

Consumer awareness and improved accessibility have been key drivers of demand in North America, leading to more OEMs introducing devices across both clamshell and book-type segments. The market has evolved beyond Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.’s dominance, with a more competitive landscape emerging. Stronger carrier support and wider product availability have contributed to this shift.

Samsung remains the leader in the North American foldable smartphone market, capturing 51% of shipments in 2025. However, intensifying competition is starting to erode its market share. Motorola, in particular, is putting pressure on Samsung in the clamshell segment, with the upcoming launch of its book-style Razr Fold posing a direct challenge to Samsung in both form factors.

Motorola and Alphabet Inc.’s Google made significant gains in market share in 2025, reaching 44% and 5%, respectively. This indicates a rapidly shifting competitive balance in the foldable smartphone market. Counterpoint previously projected that Apple could capture 46% of the North American market share in 2026, ahead of its anticipated entry into the foldable market.

Apple’s ecosystem and large-screen software capabilities are expected to drive its success in the foldable market, prompting rivals to focus on larger, book-style foldables and refine their designs. Counterpoint forecasts a 20% year-over-year growth in the foldable market in 2026, with Apple’s entry likely to influence the distribution of that growth.

While foldables currently represent a small portion of total smartphone shipments, OEMs are increasingly targeting this segment to capitalize on higher-margin opportunities. With Apple’s entry looming, the dynamics of the foldable smartphone market in North America are set to undergo significant changes.