This year, shipments of 'wide-type' panels—foldable phones with expanded horizontal inner screens—are projected to surpass 12 million units. While flip-type models previously gained attention for portability and design, recent interest has shifted toward wide-type foldables that emphasize the utility of larger screens, driving a sharp increase in their sales.
According to market research firm Omdia and others, AMOLED display shipments for foldable smartphones are expected to reach 29 million units this year. Wide-type foldable panels account for 44% of this total, translating to approximately 12.7 million units. Since AMOLED panel sales directly correlate with finished smartphone sales, analysts estimate that wide-type foldable smartphone sales will approach 10 million units this year, considering panel shipments and inventory levels.
The global foldable smartphone market is also anticipated to grow due to the popularity of wide-type models. Omdia forecasts that global foldable smartphone shipments will increase from 18.2 million units last year to over 22 million units this year.
Omdia further predicts that Chinese smartphone manufacturers will continue launching related products, pushing the proportion of wide-type foldables to exceed 60% next year. This would mean wide-type models account for more than half of all foldable panel shipments.
Wide-type foldables feature a broader horizontal display compared to traditional book-type designs. While earlier foldables had vertically elongated outer screens when closed, recent models adopt aspect ratios closer to standard bar-type smartphones.
Traditional book-type foldables, despite their spacious inner screens, received criticism for their elongated and narrow outer displays, which differed from conventional smartphone usage. In contrast, wide-type models allow users to browse webpages, documents, and social media similarly to regular smartphones when folded. When unfolded, they enable split-screen multitasking, such as running two apps side-by-side or viewing videos and documents simultaneously, enhancing large-screen utility.
Samsung Electronics and Apple are expanding the wide-type foldable market with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo, respectively. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 saw explosive demand post-launch, prompting Samsung to increase annual production to around 3.8 million units. The iPhone Duo, set to launch on the 23rd, has already seen pre-order stocks deplete quickly, with delayed shipping schedules in some countries indicating strong pre-launch demand.
Huawei also achieved success with its wide-type foldable, the Fold X Max, which sold 29% more units in its first five weeks compared to the Mate X7 and 49% more than the Fold X during the same period. OPPO, Honor, and Vivo are reportedly preparing related products.
A mobile industry insider stated, “While flip-type models initially drove foldable market expansion due to portability, recent demand has shifted toward wide-type models emphasizing screen utility and multitasking. With Samsung, Apple, and Chinese manufacturers scaling up wide-type offerings, the foldable market itself is growing.”
