Foldable Future: iPad to Stay Flat, Foldable Macbook on the Horizon for 2025

Apple has long been believed to be contemplating joining the foldable market. For quite some time, rumours about a folding iPhone, iPad, and perhaps a combination of iPad/Mac have surfaced. Recent claims by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that a foldable iPad is in the works have been refuted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and display expert Ross Young.

While Young has not heard of any plans for a foldable iPad in 2024, he has heard that Apple is developing a 20.5-inch folding Macbook for 2025. This is not the first time the analyst has suggested this hypothetical technology; both he and Gurman have previously hinted at its development. The Elec reported in December that Apple has begun the development process for a 20-inch gadget, with a projected launch date of 2027 if the project is successful.

Young and Gurman have already discussed the foldable MacEbook. According to the display expert, vendors have been in talks with Apple about developing a 20-inch foldable tablet that combines the functionality of a laptop with the distinctive display of an iPad. Young even went so far as to claim that the folding MacEbook hybrid might be a real dual-use device, acting as a notebook with a full-size keyboard when folded or utilised with an external keyboard. The gadget is also believed to feature a 4K or greater resolution.

In one of his Power On newsletters, Gurman also commented on the foldable MacEbook, indicating that Apple may go with a 20-inch foldable screen with either a physical or digital keyboard on one side of the folding display. He said that he has been told that Apple is looking towards a dual-screen layout for the foldable MacEbook hybrid, making it comparable to Microsoft’s Surface Duo or Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Apple, on the other hand, is scheduled to introduce its first batch of OLED iPads in 2024, considerably extending its product range. While the foldable MacEbook remains a rumour, it will be interesting to watch how Apple continues to develop and mould the future of technology.