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Apple is hoping to launch a foldable, 18.8-inch iPad by around 2028, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter. Apparently, the company’s industrial design team has already developed prototypes of this exciting device, featuring a “nearly invisible crease.” Gurman describes it as essentially being like “two iPad Pros side-by-side.”
Rumors about an Apple foldable have been swirling for years, but it seems like the company is finally narrowing its focus. Bloomberg reports that while the tech giant is working on a foldable device set to launch in a few years, it is also planning to roll out a smaller model potentially arriving in 2026 or 2027. As ReadWrite previously reported in February, iPhones were not first on the list for foldables.
Apple is reportedly working on a giant foldable iPad that could launch in 2028 🚨
The product would unfold into the size of two iPad Pros side-by-side and Apple aims to eliminate the crease
Source: @markgurman pic.twitter.com/gA31LloyEz
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) December 15, 2024
What could the foldable Apple iPad look like?
When fully unfolded, this display is rumored to be about 20 inches and described by Gurman as a “single, uninterrupted piece of glass.” It’s positioned as a “higher-end device,” so it’s clear Apple is going big with its foldable plans.
Instead of trying to squeeze foldable tech into a pocket-sized tablet, Apple seems to be aiming for larger screens you can carry in your backpack, prioritizing a premium experience over portability. As for the operating system, Gurman hints that this foldable will likely run on a version of iPadOS.
He does add: “I don’t believe it will be a true iPad-Mac hybrid, but the device will have elements of both. By the time 2028 rolls around, iPadOS should be advanced enough to run macOS apps.”
Since Macs can already run iPhone and iPad apps, it’s not a stretch to imagine the reverse happening someday. In fact, it could make a lot of sense. Take the 13-inch iPad Pro, which starts at $1,299—that’s already a serious investment. Now, imagine the price of an iPad that’s twice that size. Allowing it to run macOS apps could definitely sweeten the deal and make the hefty price tag a bit more justifiable.
According to Gurman, a foldable iPhone is still on Apple’s radar, but don’t expect to see it “before 2026 at the earliest.” He also mentions that what he’s hearing from his sources lines up with a recently leaked internal Apple display roadmap. This roadmap suggests some exciting plans, including the 18.8-inch foldable iPad, OLED MacBook Pros coming in 2026, and an OLED MacBook Air update in 2027.
ReadWrite has reached out to Apple for more information.
Featured image: Ideogram
