Samsung held 18% of the global book-style foldable phone market during the first half of 2026, finishing second behind Huawei's 57%. Research firm Omdia published the figures on August 20, 2026, inside its Smartphone Feature Forecast. The Samsung book-style foldable market share number covers the period before the Galaxy Z Fold 8 reached buyers, and that timing changes what it actually proves.
Key Takeaways From Omdia's 1H26 Foldable Report
- Omdia's chart ranks Huawei first at 57% and Samsung second at 18% in book-type foldables. Honor, Oppo, and Vivo follow with 9%, 7%, and 6% respectively.
- Global foldable shipments fell to 5.1 million units in the first half of 2026, a 21.6% drop year over year. Flip-style models drove almost all of that decline with a 47% fall.
- Book-type designs took 69% of all foldable shipments in 1H26, and Omdia says book-type volume stayed broadly flat. Samsung's lower share reflects a shifting vendor mix more than vanishing demand.
- Omdia forecasts 36 million foldable shipments in 2028, doubling the 18.2 million units shipped in 2025. The firm expects foldables to stay under 3% of total smartphone shipments through 2030.
Samsung Book-Style Foldable Market Share Slips as Huawei Takes 57%
Huawei controlled 57% of book-type foldable shipments in the first half of 2026, more than three times Samsung's 18%. Honor placed third at 9%, followed by Oppo at 7% and Vivo at 6%. Other vendors split the remaining 3%, according to the Omdia chart SamMobile published on August 21.
The two leaders together hold 75% of the segment, Omdia states. Huawei sells its foldables almost entirely inside China, so its lead rests on one domestic market. Samsung sells the Fold line worldwide and takes a smaller slice of the same global pool.
Omdia's measurement window closes at the end of June 2026. Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in August, so zero Fold 8 units sit inside this 18% figure. Ben Schoon made the same point in 9to5Google's coverage of the forecast.
How Samsung Went From Category Founder to Runner-Up
Samsung shipped the original Galaxy Fold in 2019 and owned the book-style category with almost no competition. Huawei's Mate X line and Honor's Magic V series later built real volume inside China. Counterpoint Research reported in 2025 that Honor's push had eaten into Samsung's near-monopoly on book-type foldables in Europe.
Omdia credits Huawei with releasing the first wide-format book-type phone, the Pura X Max, in May 2026. Samsung followed three months later. Principal Analyst Zaker Li named both devices as the engines of the segment's next growth phase.
The Numbers Behind Omdia's 1H26 Foldable Shipment Data
| Vendor | 1H26 book-type foldable share |
|---|---|
| Huawei | 57% |
| Samsung | 18% |
| Honor | 9% |
| Oppo | 7% |
| Vivo | 6% |
| Other brands | 3% |
Global foldable shipments hit 18.2 million units in 2025, growing just 6% year over year. Omdia calls that the slowest pace it has recorded in recent years.
First-half 2026 shipments came in at 5.1 million units, down 21.6% from 1H25. Flip-type models fell 47%. Book-type shipments held broadly flat, per Omdia's smartphone shipment data.
Omdia expects more than 22 million foldable shipments across full-year 2026, with growth recovering above 22%. Shipments reach 36 million by 2028 in the firm's model, then 45 million by 2030.
PRO TIP: Flat book-type volume paired with a lower Samsung share means rivals grew the pool. Read vendor share and unit volume as two separate stories.
What's Confirmed and What's Still Unclear About Samsung's Foldable Standing
Confirmed: Samsung placed second in book-type foldables with 18% share in 1H26, per Omdia's August 20 press release.
Still Unclear: Omdia has not published Samsung's book-type unit volume, so nobody can separate share loss from market contraction.
What It Means: Treat 18% as a ranking, not as proof that fewer people bought a Galaxy Fold.
Confirmed: Omdia reports flip-type shipments down 47% year over year, with book-type shipments broadly flat.
Still Unclear: The firm has not split that flip decline between the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Motorola, and Chinese rivals.
What It Means: Samsung's Flip line sits on the weaker half of the foldable market right now.
Confirmed: Huawei and Samsung together took 75% of book-type foldable shipments in 1H26, Omdia states.
Still Unclear: Omdia's public release gives no regional breakdown, leaving Huawei's China concentration unquantified.
What It Means: A global share chart flatters any vendor with one enormous home market.
Confirmed: Zaker Li credits Huawei's Pura X Max, released May 2026, as the first wide-format book-type phone.
Still Unclear: Omdia names no specific vendors or dates for the similar products it expects in coming months.
What It Means: More wide-format rivals look likely in 2027, with no confirmed launch windows yet.
What This Means for Galaxy Z Fold 8 Owners
Nothing in this report touches your phone's software or support. Samsung's One UI 9 rollout on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 already covers the Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8.
Pricing is where the forecast bites. Omdia points to hinges, large panels, and specialized glass keeping bill of materials costs high. Vendors chase premium positioning instead of volume, so Fold pricing holds rather than falls.
Repair economics follow the same math. An inner display replacement runs $579 on the standard model and $639 on the Ultra, based on Galaxy Z Fold 8 screen repair costs in the US. Does a $639 screen bill change whether you add Samsung Care+ this year?
The wide-format shift will change how your next Fold feels. Omdia describes a shorter, wider aspect ratio that cuts device volume and weight, plus a wider cover screen for horizontal content. Would you trade a taller cover display for a more tablet-shaped inner screen?
Frequently Asked Questions About Samsung's Book-Style Foldable Market Share
Q: What is Samsung's book-style foldable market share in 2026?
A: Samsung held 18% of the global book-type foldable market in the first half of 2026, according to Omdia. Huawei led at 57%, with Honor, Oppo, and Vivo at 9%, 7%, and 6%. That measurement period ends before the Galaxy Z Fold 8 went on sale in August 2026.
Q: Why does Huawei lead the book-style foldable market?
A: Huawei sells the bulk of its foldables inside China, where premium demand for its devices runs high. Omdia also credits Huawei with shipping the first wide-format book-type phone, the Pura X Max, in May 2026. Those factors put the company at 57% of 1H26 book-type shipments.
Q: Are foldable phone sales growing or shrinking right now?
A: Both, depending on the window. Global foldable shipments fell 21.6% to 5.1 million units in the first half of 2026. Omdia forecasts more than 22 million units for the full year and 36 million by 2028.
Q: Will the Galaxy Z Fold 8 improve Samsung's foldable ranking?
A: Omdia's 1H26 data excludes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 entirely, since the phone launched in August 2026. Second-half figures will show its real effect on Samsung's book-style foldable market share. Omdia already names the Fold 8 as one of the wide-format devices driving the segment forward.
What to Watch as Wide-Format Foldables Spread in 2027
Second-half 2026 shipment data is the next real checkpoint. Omdia and Counterpoint Research both publish quarterly foldable trackers, and those releases will reveal whether the Galaxy Z Fold 8 pushed Samsung's book-style foldable market share past 18%.
Watch for wide-format announcements from other Android brands as well. Omdia expects more vendors to adopt the shorter, wider design during 2027, which puts pressure on Samsung to widen the Fold further.
On the software side of Samsung's current foldables, our breakdown of the Warranty and care menu in One UI 9 covers the support tools Samsung added in August 2026.
Which figure surprised you more, Huawei's 57% or the 47% collapse in flip-style shipments? Drop your read in the comments and tell us whether the Fold 8 changes the ranking by December.
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