by Juli Clover
Rumors from several reliable sources suggest that Apple is working on a MacBook with a foldable screen, and it could be Apple's first foldable device to come before the foldable iPhone. We've rounded up six key features we've heard about the device so far.
Concept by Astropad
Design
The design of the foldable MacBook with an all-screen display will be different from the current MacBook, which has a display and keyboard. It will be equipped with one large screen that can be folded in half.
When unfolded, the MacBook can be used as a monitor paired with a keyboard and trackpad or mouse, and when folded it can serve as a laptop. Presumably, this design will not have a separate keyboard, but instead will use an on-screen keyboard with number keys and haptic feedback for the feel of the keys being pressed.
Size
Display research analyst Ross Young says the foldable MacBook will have an 18.8-inch display, with Apple aiming to make the screen “as crease-free as possible” when unfolded. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also suggested that Apple is planning a screen size of around 19 inches.
Display technology
Rumor has it that Apple is working with LG Display to develop a foldable OLED panels, and LG has been developing foldable ultra-thin protective glass for the past few years.
Apple has also tested electronic paper display (EPD) technology, which it may use in future foldable devices. EPD could potentially be used in the outermost display of a foldable device if Apple opts for some kind of dual display design with an outer and inner screen.
EPD is a form of electronic ink technology that is known for being The image is much more visible than on LED or OLED screens.
At 18.8 inches, the foldable laptop will likely have a 5K or higher resolution.
M-series chip
Mass production of foldable displays for future MacBooks could begin next year. Q4 2025 with launch late 2025 or early 2026. This will be timed to coincide with the release of the upcoming M5 chip, the successor to the 2024 M4.
We don't know what to expect from the M5, but it will most likely be produced on a next-gen 3nm node or even a 2nm node. nanometer node. TSMC is working on 2nm chips and they should be ready sometime in the second half of 2025.
3nm and 2nm refer to the architecture that TSMC uses for its chips and the reduction node size. corresponds to a reduction in transistor size, allowing more transistors to be placed in the processor. This often results in increased productivity and improved energy efficiency. Currently, Apple's M4 chips are built on a 3nm process, just like the M3 chips.
Price
Apple will have to use expensive components for the foldable MacBook, and Kuo believes that at launch it can be almost as expensive as the $3,500 Vision Pro headset. The 16-inch MacBook Pro currently starts at $2,500, so it's likely the larger folding model will be more expensive.
Release date
If the rumors are true and Apple plans to launch LG Display in bulk Folding MacBook production in the fourth quarter of 2025, the device could be released in 2025 or 2026. Kuo estimates Apple will ship more than a million units in 2026.
Apple analyst Ross Young believes a foldable MacBook could arrive as early as 2025, the same timeframe as analyst Jeff Pu suggests.
[ 140 comments ]
