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Apple to Launch Foldable As Early As 2026 That Could Ultimately Replace iPad Mini

truthsteve said:
foldable phones are stupid and never made sense to me.

foldable tablets however, I can see it.
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Fully agree. Whats the point of folding an already pockateable device like a phone (think Galaxy Flip)? just to put it uncomfortably on small shirt or girl jeans pockets? Just because it’s “cool”?

That’s why most foldable “phones” currently on sale such as the Galaxy Fold are in reality foldable android tablets.

A foldable iPad Mini would make it the perfect portability device.

Edit: I also agree such a device wouldn’t replace or be the new iPad Mini ($500) in 2026 but a different line altogether (iPad Fold?) costing at least twice as much.
 
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apparatchik said:
Fully agree. Whats the point of folding an already pockateable device like a phone (think Galaxy Flip)? just to put it uncomfortably on small shirt or girl jeans pockets? Just because it’s “cool”?

That’s why most foldable “phones” currently on sale such as the Galaxy Fold are in reality foldable android tablets.

A foldable iPad Mini would make it the perfect portability device.

Edit: I also agree such a device wouldn’t replace or be the new iPad Mini ($500) in 2026 but a different line altogether (iPad Fold?) costing at least twice as much.
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Not sure I get your logic. So it only makes sense to you if they remove the cell phone capability? Yeah, the Galaxy Fold is a phone that essentially turns into a tablet, but it is still a phone.

Think Jobs’ original iPhone intro: “an iPod with touch controls, a phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device” and now a fold out tablet screen. Likely won’t appeal to everyone, though it certainly has appeal if they get the right balance of quality and price, but it isn’t even really a leap in logic from the original iPhone concept.
 
Foldable doesn’t make sense for the iPad mini for how it is mostly used. It would only make sense as a phone-tablet hybrid, similar to the Pixel fold and Galaxy Z Fold.
 
I would so love this. Pocketable (in a reasonably sized pocket) but big enough to work on. An integrated pencil (like the S-Pen) would complement it perfectly.

Keeping the opened size the same as the current Mini but shrinking the bezels would allow an almost 9 inch screen unfolded with the possibility of a near 6 inch screen on the outside when folded. Stretch the dimensions slightly and even more is possible.

The problem is this puts me off the idea of upgrading to the Mini 7 when it comes out...
 
bgillander said:
Not sure I get your logic. So it only makes sense to you if they remove the cell phone capability? Yeah, the Galaxy Fold is a phone that essentially turns into a tablet, but it is still a phone.

Think Jobs’ original iPhone intro: “an iPod with touch controls, a phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device” and now a fold out tablet screen. Likely won’t appeal to everyone, though it certainly has appeal if they get the right balance of quality and price, but it isn’t even really a leap in logic from the original iPhone concept.
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I wasn’t talking about cell capability in any way but of form factor. iPad’s have cellular and depending on carrier they even support phone calls. The fact you can make calls wasn’t relevant in my argument.

I meant that most foldable “phones” on sell atm are actually foldable android tablets, as in what you’re getting is a, say, 7” tablet that you fold in half. Regardless if it replaces your phone or not. Some people have replaced their phones with iPad Mini’s, but this is beyond my point.

A foldable phone (Galaxy Flip) makes little sense to me as you’re not getting anything more than a “cool” phone. A foldable tablet (Galaxy Fold or the device rumored in this article) on the other hand it’s a lot more interesting.
 
Load of utter horse %$£.

Not happening, Apple have zero interest in releasing any foldable and lets be honest, foldable are utter gimmicky trash.

Horrid displays and stupid creases, no one but some nerd wants that fat chunk in their pocket or some paid K pop shill.

But but but PrOdUcTiVity!!@!@£ . Useless.

Tired of these awful rumours, tired of Samsung throwing #€¢¢ at the wall to see what sticks instead of making something that would actually improve peoples lives.

Loser mentality.

I think the vision pro sucks but AR is the future, not folding bricks.

The world has known about the vision pro coming for years, and what do Google and Samsung do? nothing until it was revealed and now they'll release a Samsung headset running a new Android VR/AR OS this year. Always chasing and NEVER leading.

Losers.

The only thing I would give Google is, they made the industry raise the camera game when the Pixel debuted because the iPhone X and XS had AWFUL cameras and took Apple 2 years to catch up with Google.
 
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I don't know how anyone can work in tech news/rumors and so wholehearted fail to grasp Apple's well-established product launch strategy that it repeats, over and over again, for every major product category:

Apple is developing a foldable (prototype) iPad Pro that, when folded up, is around the size of an iPad mini. That's what this "leak" is about, obviously.

This foldable iPad Pro could launch in 2026, as the rumor suggests, sure. But regardless of when, iPads Air, mini and 10th Gen. will have to wait at least 3-5 years, or more, before they see foldable displays.

-Apple always leads with its highest-end model and then lets the cutting edge specs/components trickle down to the mid- and low-end over the following years, at which point the highest-end model moves on to something distinctly newer and better.

However, if Apple, in a distant future, can make AVP happen the way it made smartphones happen with iPhone, then the average consumer will gladly skip foldables altogether to instead wear light-weight AR/VR glasses with huge "displays" inside that mirror your iPhones content or something like that.
 
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ApplesAreSweet&Sour said:
I don't know how anyone can work in tech news/rumors and so wholehearted fail to grasp Apple's well-established product launch strategy that it repeats, over and over again, for every major product category:

Apple is developing a foldable (prototype) iPad Pro that, when folded up, is around the size of an iPad mini. That's what this "leak" is about, obviously.

This foldable iPad Pro could launch in 2026, as the rumor suggests, sure. But regardless of when, iPads Air, mini and 10th Gen. will have to wait at least 3-5 years, or more, before they see foldable displays.

-Apple always leads with its highest-end model and then lets the cutting edge specs/components trickle down to the mid- and low-end over the following years, at which point the highest-end model moves on to something distinctly newer and better.
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The rumour is pretty specific about 7-8 inch screens, so unlikely to be the pro.

Also, the transition from Power PC to Intel was led by the MacBook (iBook replacement) which leapfrogged way past the PowerBook at the time, and the transition to Apple Silicon was led by the MacBook Air, and the Mac Mini. The processor in the iPad Mini 6 itself was ahead of the iPad Air at launch. Apple has plenty of form for pushing out new features to mid range devices.

The Mini is a good test bed for this - fairly niche, sitting in a fairly unique spot in the line up. It's ripe for testing the waters.
 
I don‘t get the hype around foldable phones. I’m perfectly fine with the slab design, and to me it represents a pinnacle in smartphone engineering. I’ve been told that the smartphone will be supplanted by VR/AR headsets or — even more bizarre — smart pins that people stick to their chest and speak to. But what if we’ve already reached the ultimate form factor? No doubt that our phones will continue to evolve, but I’d be willing to wager that even 50 years from now humans will be using phones that are quite similar in form factor as what we have now. 👍
 
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tekipaki said:
I don‘t get the hype around foldable phones. I’m perfectly fine with the slab design, and to me it represents a pinnacle in smartphone engineering. I’ve been told that the smartphone will be supplanted by VR/AR headsets or — even more bizarre — smart pins that people stick to their chest and speak to. But what if we’ve already reached the ultimate form factor? No doubt that our phones will continue to evolve, but I’d be willing to wager that even 50 years from now humans will be using phones that are quite similar in form factor as what we have now. 👍
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Well I didn’t get the hype with MacBook pros but I know I’m not the target market, like products they are thinking of the demographics of the future, people thought the same thought when the iPhone came out, people didn’t like the idea of a on screen board, but here we are, it’s people negative attitudes that are getting old. Just say it’s not for you, the product may have its purpose once’s Apple if/when decides to release it.
 
I hope the mini isn't replaced. Honestly 0% interested in a foldable as the Mini is a great size and actually does fit in (a pair of cargo pants) pocket.

Would really prefer they upgrade components, move to OLED, and perhaps shrink the chassis a bit and keep the usable screen space that we have now.
 
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entropi said:
I would just like to get rid of the jelly scroll on the iPad mini 6 (and get back the headphone jack, but yeah...). Not at all intrested in OLED.
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I also prefer LCD over OLED for quite a few reasons, and I prefer a non-foldable iPad mini in the way it is now. Put a better display in it so that the jelly scrolling becomes less (it is absolutely possible with better LCD panels but sticking to BOE as the display supplier will surely not solve the issue) and upgrade the internals, that's all I need.
If Apple abandons the mini, I will buy the last and replace it when a plane lands with the nose on it.
 
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tekipaki said:
I don‘t get the hype around foldable phones. I’m perfectly fine with the slab design, and to me it represents a pinnacle in smartphone engineering. I’ve been told that the smartphone will be supplanted by VR/AR headsets or — even more bizarre — smart pins that people stick to their chest and speak to. But what if we’ve already reached the ultimate form factor? No doubt that our phones will continue to evolve, but I’d be willing to wager that even 50 years from now humans will be using phones that are quite similar in form factor as what we have now. 👍
Click to expand...

I’ll take that bet mostly on a very simple consideration: what was the form factor of a phone 50 years ago (1974)?

Your personal phone (which was actually shared by all who lived with you) was a relatively big box on which a corded handset sat until a call was to be made or received. A “mobile” phone involved getting inside of a glass chamber, using a similar-but-larger big box + corded handset (shared with huge numbers of total strangers for upwards of MANY years)… and having to insert coins each time you used it… and again when using it for longer than a few minutes.

And “texting” involved visiting a telegram office… and paying for each “text”… then waiting sometimes lengthy amounts of time for a reply. The exchange of “what R U doing?” And “Nothing, you?” could easily take a full day or two... if not longer... and cost around $12.95 each way... if not more.

In 50 years, I suspect the current slab will seem as antiquated as phones of 50 years ago. The not-born-yet will ridicule the old bricks grandpa used to have to carry around and ask grandpa how he ever got by with such a thing.
 
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> Apple to Launch Foldable [missing] As Early As 2026
and guess what? it will be at its lowest ever selling price!
Getting sick and tired of these marketing cliches, shame on you humans or bots who write this down.
Also, "as late as" would be more accurate since they're a bit late in this market.
 
kiranmk2 said:
Rollable devices definitely seem that the best way to avoid the hinge / creasing issues

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With today's borderless technology in displays, a foldable phone with 2 displays makes more sense. When unfolded, you have a large display without any loss of pixels or lines. plus; You can then use a smaller display on the outside of the folded phone, which requires very little energy.
 
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