NEW DELHI: Apple could bring more buyers to foldables without winning most of them. Foldable phones have flexible screens that let them open into larger displays or fold into more compact devices. The Cupertino-based company’s entry with the iPhone Duo is expected to draw attention to a smartphone category that remains small in India, while Samsung’s wider price range could help it capture much of the increase in sales.At Rs 2,99,900, the Duo gives iPhone users a foldable within Apple’s ecosystem. Its immediate contribution, however, could be greater in consumer awareness, developer interest and market value than in shipment volumes.
“Samsung has been building this category for years, and its pricing spread across multiple foldable form factors only strengthens that position for now,” said Upasana Joshi of IDC India.India’s foldable shipments stood at just under 6.3 lakh units in 2025, against total smartphone shipments of 15.2 crore, according to IDC. Samsung accounted for the vast majority. IDC expects foldable shipments to reach 8-8.5 lakh units in 2026, even as overall smartphone shipments decline to around 12.5 crore. Joshi said Apple’s pricing would keep the Duo largely within the super-premium segment initially, limiting the volumes it could generate to challenge Samsung’s leadership.Counterpoint Research’s Tarun Pathak expects India’s foldable market to cross 10 lakh units next year, with Samsung driving much of that expansion because of its price advantage. Apple could encourage developers to build better experiences and help consumers understand the category.“The bigger message is that foldables are moving beyond being just a technology showcase and becoming a more established premium smartphone category,” Pathak said. India has an installed base of around 30 lakh foldables against more than 74 crore smartphone users, according to Pathak. He does not expect the category to become mass market for another three-to-four years.For Apple, the commercial opportunity extends beyond unit sales. Prabhu Ram of CyberMedia Research described the Duo as “a halo offering to elevate overall portfolio ASPs”, positioning it above the flagship lineup for affluent buyers. Apple’s entry could reinforce shift towards wider, book-style foldables, which Pathak said offer a more natural tablet-like experience for documents, video and multitasking.
