Shipments of foldable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are forecast to reach 124.6 million units by 2032, accounting for 8.6% of the total OLED display market, according to the latest research from Omdia.
After growing 6.5% YoY to 23.1 million units in 2024, and driven by over 20 new foldable model launches, the market is projected to experience modest growth of 1.6% YoY to 23.5 million units in 2025. This is attributed to intense competition among brands focused on engineering slimmer devices.
Despite being available since 2019, the foldable category has faced persistent adoption challenges. High price points and a perceived lack of compelling use cases over conventional bar-type smartphones have limited mainstream consumer appeal. Technical hurdles in balancing performance with a slim form factor have historically constrained device engineering.
“Display suppliers are overcoming these challenges by systematically reducing the thickness of the entire foldable display module,” said Jerry Kang, Practice Leader, Omdia. “After more than six years of manufacturing experience, suppliers have optimised key components like ultra-thin glass and supporting films. This not only enables sleeker device designs but also improves durability, directly addressing key points of consumer resistance and paving the way for wider adoption.”
Omdia has identified Apple’s potential entry into the foldable market, anticipated for 2026, as the primary catalyst for the next phase of significant growth.
“An entry from Apple would fundamentally validate the foldable category and ignite demand far beyond the current Android ecosystem,” said Kang. “The introduction of a foldable iPhone is expected to expand the entire market and it will be the key inflection point we are forecasting for post-2026 growth.”
