[News] Samsung Reportedly Trims 2026 Foldable Target to 5–6M Units for Galaxy Z Fold8, Flip8 and Wide Fold

As Apple reportedly sets its sights high for its first foldable iPhone, Samsung appears to be taking a more cautious approach. According to ZDNet, the company plans to ship 5–6 million units of its three new foldable models in 2026, including the Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Flip8, and Wide Fold, compared with around 6 million units last year.

The revised outlook is also below Samsung’s earlier projection of 6.5 million units for this year, reflecting downward adjustments for both the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8, the report adds.

Industry sources cited by ZDNet further detailed model-level targets, with the Galaxy Z Fold8 at 2.0–mid-2 million units, the Z Flip8 at mid-to-high 1 million units, and the Wide Fold at mid-1 million to 2 million units. According to ZDNet, the more conservative stance may be driven by rising component costs, including memory semiconductors, which are also putting upward pressure on device pricing.

As previously reported by Herald Economy, Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy Z series foldables are expected to see notable price increases, with the high-capacity Galaxy Z Fold8 variant potentially rising by nearly 700,000 won to as much as 3.7 million won.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 is expected to be priced at around $2,199 for the 512GB model and about $2,499 for the 1TB variant, according to Herald Economy. In Korean won terms, this translates to roughly 3.25 million won and 3.69 million won, respectively, the report noted.

Apple: Strong Foldable iPhone Outlook

In comparison, a March Economic Daily News report suggested that Apple has strong internal confidence in the new device’s sales outlook, leading it to significantly raise supply chain inventory plans—by around 20% above the original target.

According to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, shipments of Apple’s foldable iPhone are projected at 3–5 million units in 2026, with the first-generation device expected to be priced above $2,000 and potentially exceeding $2,500.

TrendForce estimates that Apple, leveraging its strong brand positioning and consumer anticipation, could capture nearly 20% market share in 2026, compressing the share of competitors such as Samsung Electronics and Huawei to around 30% each.

Read more

• [News] Foldable iPhone Case Leak: Early Design Hints at Key Hardware Specs — Dual Cameras and Slim Profile
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Targets 7 Million Foldable Units in 2026 on Z Fold 7 Momentum

(Photo credit: Samsung)