The foldable display market is set to take off and wider foldable smartphones emerge as the next big trend, according to new research. 

Research firm Omdia forecasts global foldable smartphone display shipments will reach 29 million units in 2026, a 44% year-on-year increase following a 12% decline in 2025.

Wider foldable displays are expected to account for 44% of all foldable display shipments in 2026, demonstrating a growing interest in the wide-format designs that offer a more tablet-like experience, according to Omdia. 

Driving the interest in wider foldable smartphones is Samsung and Apple, with their newly launched devices, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and the Apple iPhone Duo. 

Samsung Display is strengthening its market position and Omdia expects it to capture 66% of the global foldable display market in 2026, benefiting from its supply relationships with Samsung and Apple.

This is expected to affect Chinese display makers, including suppliers BOE, China Star, Tianma and Visionox, which are forecast in the research to lose market share as demand moves towards devices supplied by Samsung Display. 

More Chinese smartphone brands may enter the wide-foldable segment, however. Omdia expects additional Chinese manufacturers to adopt wider designs in 2027, which has the potential to intensify competition.

The Omdia findings also show that LTPO technology is emerging as the preferred display choice. Most foldable displays manufactured in 2026 are expected to use LTPO technology, which offers a more precise refresh-rate control than LTPS and can also help improve power efficiency.

The appeal of the widescreen foldables, which feature aspect ratios such as 4:3 and 14:10, is that they offer more practical screen space for multitasking, social media, viewing entertainment, gaming as well as productivity apps.

While it is a promising outlook for the category, the forecast measures the component shipments and not complete device sales. With Samsung Display positioned to benefit and the expected growth in Chinese manufacturers on board the wide screen foldable trend, 2027 looks set to be a pivotal year for the new category.Â