According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, global shipments of foldable smartphone panels are expected to grow 46% year-on-year in 2026. The growth will be largely driven by Apple’s entry into the foldable market, as the company begins sourcing panels for its first foldable iPhone.
Image Credit: macrumors
Apple’s move is expected to reignite interest in the foldables category. Counterpoint believes this will lead to a sharp increase in demand across the supply chain and push average selling prices higher next year. The report states that Samsung Display will be the biggest winner, with its market share projected to reach 57% in 2026.
The research firm also expects the book-style foldable design to solidify its dominance. These devices feature large, inward-folding screens and are gaining popularity among consumers who want more productivity and bigger display areas.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 already showed signs of this trend. During the early sales window in the second half of 2025, the Fold model outsold the clamshell-style Flip model for the first time. Counterpoint noted a similar trend in China, where consumers are now prioritizing larger foldables despite higher prices.
On the supply side, panel makers are expected to experience uneven growth. BOE could see an 8% year-on-year decline in shipment share, while Visionox is forecast to grow 8%. TCL CSOT is expected to grow 47%, and Tianma may post a 580% year-on-year surge.
Counterpoint estimates that overall foldable smartphone shipments will grow 14% in 2025 and 38% in 2026. With Apple’s foldable iPhone on the horizon, the market is set for a significant boost in both volume and innovation.
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iPhone will mark its 20th anniversary in 2027, and Apple aims to launch true all-screen products. Long ago, the company requested its display partners, Samsung and LG, to develop the required solutions, mainly the display.
A new industry report sheds light on the fact that Samsung isn’t paying much attention to the Apple all-screen iPhone expected to arrive in 2027. LG Display seems way more active than Samsung when it comes to investment.
Strategic silence
LG Display is reportedly pouring 400 billion won (~ $270 million) into the panel production of Apple’s 2027 iPhone. The South Korean company is preparing to initiate preparations for mass-producing the OLED screen.
While LG is moving swiftly, Samsung’s silence speaks volumes. The company may have been prepping for investment or uncertain about the adoption of such screen technology by Apple in its 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027.
Focus elsewhere
Samsung is focusing on foldable iPhone display supplies. A recent report revealed that around 11 million panels could be supplied by Samsung Display, which the company’s spokesperson denied in a statement conveyed to us.
It’s said that Samsung Display is the sole supplier of foldable iPhone screens. The first product is coming next year, and it will sell like hotcakes. Samsung’s Z Fold 7 has hit a level of maturity, and Apple’s entry is a validation.
True all-screen iPhone
Apple wants Samsung and LG to develop a bezel-less screen. Not just bezels, but the OLED may not have any cutout for FaceID and selfie camera. Apple could bring an under-display selfie camera to the iPhone Pro models in 2027.
iPhone in 2027 could adopt four-sided bending technology. It may not just cover the front but all four edges of the border with the display. The solution doesn’t match the edge/curved display technology, which used earlier.
Producing a four-sided bending display requires extensive modification of existing lines. This is why the scale of LG’s investment is inevitably large. There are rumors that LG Display has been allocated about 10 lines by Apple.
The screen Apple wants requires a process to fold the panel circuit in the bezel area, and the Thin-Film Encapsulation (TFE), which blocks the ingress of moisture and oxygen into the OLED panel, must also be significantly thinner.
As mobile gaming continues to surge in popularity, 2025 has emerged as one of the strongest years yet for gaming-centric smartphones. With powerful chipsets, high-refresh displays, advanced cooling systems, and massive batteries, the latest flagships aren’t just phones anymore; they are pocket-sized gaming rigs. Whether you’re into competitive shooters, open-world RPBs, or intense battle royales, there’s plenty of great gaming smartphones to choose from.
So here’s our list of the best gaming smartphones of 2025.
Red Magic 11 Pro+
There are only a few brands that have a pure gaming pedigree, like Red Magic. So if you want a phone built from the ground up for performance and long gaming sessions, look no further than the Red Magic 11 Pro+. Unlike modern flagships that aim to offer a balanced experience, the Chinese brand goes all in on gaming.
Red Magic 11 Pro+
It features a tall 6.85-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate for an immersive gaming experience. Powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it pairs up to 24GB LPDDR5T RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.1 storage, more than enough for even the most demanding mobile titles. But what truly sets it apart is the dual cooling system. Not only does it have an active cooling system with a physical RGB fan, but it also features a vapor chamber liquid cooling. You can even see this system in the words as the liquid moves around in the pipes on the back.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
While Apple isn’t known to brand any of its devices as a gaming phone, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a premium phone that delivers true flagship performance. Not only can you play some of the most intense mobile game titles, but Apple has also ported actual console-level games to its iOS platform.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
So you can play popular games like Resident Evil 4, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Death Stranding, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and many more. So you have access to an impressive catalogue of games without relying on any particular streaming service.
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iQOO 15
If you want flagship-class power without the premium flagship price, the iQOO 15 emerges as one of the best value flagships for gamers in 2025. It ships with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset that brings cutting-edge performance. Pair this with a tall 6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED display, and you get a smooth gameplay experience.
iQOO 15
One of its highlighting aspects is the massive 7,000mAh battery pack that promises long, uninterrupted gaming sessions. While it may lack some of the dedicated gaming-phone trappings like active cooling or shoulder triggers, its value-for-money positioning makes it attractive for casual and competitive gamers who don’t want to overspend.
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OnePlus 15
The OnePlus 15 strikes a sweet balance between raw performance, everyday usability, and gaming-ready hardware. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 as well, but it pairs it with an even higher 165Hz refresh rate. The smooth display kicks in while you run certain titles, which brings an advantage in various competitive games.
OnePlus 15
This model outshines the iQOO 15 with its gigantic 7,300mAh battery pack that supports 120W wired fast charging as well as 50W wireless fast charging. It even supports bypass charging, which allows the device to run on a wired connection to prevent any overheating, so the battery doesn’t get damaged, and there is no performance throttling.
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Honor GT Pro
Rounding out the list is the Honor GT Pro. A device that often flies under mainstream headlines but deserves attention if you’re serious about mobile gaming. While not always hyped, the Honor GT Pro has built a reputation for balancing performance, display quality, and capable cameras.
Honor GT Pro
Just like the rest of Android flagships in this list, you get the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite and a huge 7,200mAh battery pack. Honor announced this model earlier in the year, so it arrived ahead of the current flagship generation. However, the brand marketed this as a dedicated gaming smartphone since it packed the Leading Edition variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite along with a three stage cooling system that includes a 3D vapor cooling chamber, thermal conductive adhesive, and AI powered temperature control system.
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2025 has already welcomed three flagship chips, including Apple A19 Pro, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and MediaTek Dimensity 9500. Samsung has also confirmed Exynos 2600, which would be launched early next year.
The three chips compete with each other in terms of performance and efficiency. Apple’s chip exclusively powers the iPhone, while Qualcomm and MediaTek provide AP solutions to Android smartphone makers.
Recently, X user Kurnal shared an image that shows a size comparison of Apple A19 Pro, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and Dimensity 9500. Apple’s silicon beats both of its rivals in terms of die efficiency, being the smallest.
Chip size – Apple vs Qualcomm vs MediaTek
Apple A19 Pro – 98.69 square millimeter
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 – 126.2 square millimeter
Notably, these chips are fabricated on TSMC’s 3nm process technology. Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 2600 is manufactured using its cutting-edge 2nm node. It would surely be smaller than Qualcomm and MediaTek chips.
The image also sheds light on the chip’s components, including CPU, GPU, and NPU. Overall, it’s a pretty nice showdown of Apple’s incredible engineering. Despite being the smallest, it doesn’t compromise performance and efficiency.
Source – Kurnal / X
Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are equipped with the A19 Pro chip. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powers Android flagships such as the OnePlus 15 and is confirmed to be featured in the Galaxy S26 Ultra in early 2026.
Chinese vendors also utilize MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 in their flagship devices. Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 2600 is slated to power Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus either in South Korea or in a handful of countries.
Samsung impressed once again with its near-monopoly performance in the Q3 2025 South Korea smartphone market. The company seized an almost-entire portion of shipments, which Apple wasn’t able to face with its slice.
According to Counterpoint Research (via Chosun), Samsung surpassed an 80% market share in South Korea for the 2nd time in a row.
The report reveals that the Korean tech giant flagged an impressive 81 percent share in the third quarter. The company’s market share has increased from 80 percent in the same quarter of the previous year.
While Samsung improved its tally YoY, it faced a 3 percent decline over the second quarter. During the April-June period, the company’s shipments were 84 percent, while the July-September period slipped to 81 percent.
On the other hand, Apple’s market share in the same period was 18 percent. The iPhone maker reported a decline of 1 percent YoY; however, it grew 2 percent QoQ.
Decisive factors
Samsung maintained its growth momentum driven by the success of the Galaxy Fold 7 and sustained demand for mid-to-low-end models like the Galaxy A36, which was released in the second quarter of this year.
Apple’s sales increased due to upgrades in the iPhone 17 series. Counterpoint analysts predict that the gap between Apple and Samsung will narrow in the fourth quarter, reflecting iPhone 17 sales released this September.
Apart from this, the report highlights Xiaomi’s efforts in South Korea. The Chinese vendor opened official stores at Guui Station and Magoknaru Station in September, but is still struggling to establish a presence in the market.
Apple released patches for all of its flagship devices to fix security flaws under attack. Google also updated Chrome to remediate one vulnerability exploited in the attacks.
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