Tim Hardwick
Apple is working on a “giant” foldable iPad that unfolds to the size of two iPad Pros placed side by side. The company plans to release it sometime in 2028, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman writes that Apple has been developing a foldable iPad for a couple of years and is aiming for a display size of around 20 inches to appeal to customers who want the largest possible display in a portable device.
Gurman says Apple’s main goal is to avoid the crease that runs down the center of the screen above the hinge when the device is open. The crease has remained visible even in the current generation of foldable phones from Samsung, which has tried and failed to get rid of it since the release of its revolutionary Galaxy Fold device in 2019.
Apple, by contrast, wants its foldable iPad to look like “a single, continuous piece of glass.” Whether that’s achievable remains unclear, though the company is said to be making progress: Gurman reports that prototypes of this new product in Apple’s industrial design group have a nearly invisible crease. “It’s too early to tell whether Apple will be able to get rid of it completely,” the reporter notes.
As for what operating system the foldable iPad will run, Gurman admits it’s not yet clear, but he did say this:
I'm guessing it will be iPadOS or a variant of it. I don't believe it will be a true iPad-Mac hybrid, but the device will have elements of both. By 2028, iPadOS should be advanced enough to run macOS apps, but it would also make sense to support iPad accessories like the Apple Pencil.
Gurman says most of Apple's work on foldable devices is focused on a “high-end” 20-inch device, but he claims Apple is continuing to explore the long-discussed concept of a foldable iPhone. Despite Apple's status as the only major smartphone maker without a foldable device, Gurman doesn't see a foldable iPhone arriving before 2026.
Last week, MacRumors reported on a document published on X that allegedly reveals Apple's display plans. The roadmap shows Apple aiming for an 18.8-inch foldable screen between 2028 and 2030, and Gurman says it’s “generally in line with what I’ve heard about Apple’s foldable computer.”
Specifically, a report from The Wall Street Journal over the weekend claimed Apple is planning two foldable devices, one of which is “designed to be used as a laptop” and “has a screen that unfolds to nearly the size of some desktop monitors, around 19 inches.” It’s not yet clear if this and the foldable iPad Gurman reported are the same device, but it’s possible.
Meanwhile, the smaller device is said to be essentially an iPhone with an inward-folding design that unfolds to a display size that would be larger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The WSJ report says Apple executives are pushing for a 2026 release, but the company could need another year to iron out technical issues, one of which is believed to be related to the fold.
Tags: Bloomberg, Foldable iPad, Foldable iPhone Guide, Mark Gurman[ 74 comments ]
