Apple is preparing to enter China’s growing foldable smartphone market with its upcoming foldable iPhone Duo, set for preorder on October 16 and available a week later. The move comes as demand for foldable devices in China, the largest market for the category, continues to accelerate despite the segment still representing a small fraction of overall smartphone sales.
China accounts for over one-third of global foldable smartphone sales, according to Counterpoint Research, making it a critical market for Apple’s expansion into this niche. However, the company faces stiff competition from established Chinese manufacturers that have been offering foldable phones for several years. Huawei currently leads the market in both foldable and general smartphone sales in China. Since launching its first folding smartphone in 2019, Huawei has built a strong presence with models like the Pura X Max, which shares similar dimensions with Apple’s upcoming Duo. Huawei reported a nearly 77% increase in Pura X Max sales in the four days following Apple’s foldable iPhone announcement in early September. The Pura X Max has sold over 1.4 million units since its debut in April.
Other prominent Chinese brands including Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and Honor have also been active in the foldable market. Xiaomi’s recently released 18 Fold, a passport-size foldable, recorded its highest first-week sales ever for foldables in early September.
Huawei’s consumer business chairman Richard Yu attributed the company’s leadership in foldables to significant investments in improving screen durability and camera quality. “I know how hard-earned these achievements were,” Yu said. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Despite their premium positioning, foldables remain a relatively small segment. They represent about 4% of smartphone sales in China and roughly 2% globally, according to Counterpoint. Challenges include device fragility and technical difficulties in integrating high-quality cameras within foldable designs. Nevertheless, manufacturers target foldables at high-end consumers, with prices reflecting their premium features. Huawei’s Pura X Max starts at over $1,600, while its second-generation trifolding Mate XT2, released in early September, begins near $3,000. Apple’s iPhone Duo is priced starting at $1,999 in the U.S. and 15,999 yuan (approximately $2,400) in China.
Consumers attracted to foldable phones often cite enhanced multitasking capabilities and larger screen real estate as key benefits. Wang Rui, an 18-year-old college student in Beijing, said he was considering purchasing Huawei’s Mate XT2 and had visited both Huawei and Apple stores to explore the devices. With previous experience using foldables from Oppo and Vivo, Wang remarked, “I like cutting-edge technology. As of now, Apple hasn’t reached this level yet,” referring to Huawei’s latest models.
Industry analysts forecast significant growth for Apple in the foldable space despite its late market entry. Counterpoint projects Apple could sell up to six million foldable iPhones this year, capturing about 25% of the global foldable market and surpassing Huawei’s current 22% share. Samsung, the original pioneer in foldables but with limited presence in China, is expected to maintain its global leadership with an estimated 38% share.
Huawei remains restricted from the U.S. market due to blacklisting by the American government since 2019, which prevents the company from using U.S.-based technology. To navigate these limits, Huawei has invested in developing its own chips and operating systems. Its latest Mate 90 Series smartphones, released Thursday, incorporate advanced chip-layering technology designed to enhance performance despite these restrictions.