Foldable iPad With ~20-Inch Display Likely Set for 2028 Launch

[MacRumors]

Apple is working on a "giant" foldable iPad that unfolds into the size of two iPad Pros side-by-side, which the company aims to release around 2028, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple has been developing the foldable for a couple of years now, and is aiming for a ~20-inch display to appeal to customers who want the biggest possible display in a portable device.

Gurman says Apple's main goal is to avoid the crease that runs through the middle of the screen above the hinge when the device is in the open position. The crease has remained evident in even the current crop of foldable phones from Samsung, which has tried and failed to get rid of it since its breakout Galaxy Fold device, released in 2019.

In contrast, Apple wants its foldable iPad to look like "a single, uninterrupted piece of glass." Whether this is achievable remains unclear, though the company is said to have made progress: Gurman reports that prototypes of this new product within Apple's industrial design group have a nearly invisible crease. "It's too early to tell if Apple will be able to get rid of it altogether," notes the reporter.

As for which operating system the foldable iPad will run, Gurman admits that it's not yet clear, but he did have this to say:

My guess is that 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 the time 2028 rolls around, iPadOS should be advanced enough to run macOS apps, but it also makes sense to support iPad accessories like the Apple Pencil.

Gurman says the majority of Apple's work on foldables is focused on the "higher-end" 20-inch device, but he maintains that Apple continues to explore the long-rumored foldable iPhone concept. Despite Apple's status as the only major smartphone maker without a foldable, Gurman does not foresee a foldable iPhone arriving before 2026 at the earliest.

Last week, MacRumors reported on a document shared on X that allegedly reveals Apple's display plans. The roadmap shows that Apple aims to use an 18.8-inch foldable screen between 2028 and 2030, and Gurman says that this "generally lines up with what I've heard about an Apple foldable computer."

Notably, a report over the weekend by The Wall Street Journal claimed that Apple is planning two foldable devices, one of which is "intended to serve as a laptop" and "has a screen that unfolds to be nearly as large as some desktop monitors, at about 19 inches." It is not immediately clear if this and the foldable iPad reported by Gurman are one and the same, but it's a possibility.

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 an iPhone 16 Pro Max. The WSJ report said Apple executives are pushing for a 2026 release, but the company may need another year to address technical challenges, one of which is presumably related to the crease.

Article Link: Foldable iPad With ~20-Inch Display Likely Set for 2028 Launch

 

[SanderEvers]

It's going to be €3000 at a base price, I think. Or more.

 

[Pezimak]

Not sure about all these foldables. I seriously doubt Apple will be able to get rid of the crease. But you never know I guess?

 

[DrJR]

If it folds diagonally it won’t crease.

 

[erinsarah]

I do hope it’s not set up as shown with a keyboard on the lower half. Have you ever tried typing (or just successfully touching something), on an iPad that’s lying flat in a table? Chances are you’ll aim wrong and miss what you are trying to press.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

It's going to be €3000 at a base price, I think. Or more.

My bet will be on "more."

Could Apple make something to hit that price? Yes. But shareholder pleasing should motivate "piling on" some additional price to fuel "another record quarter." 💰💰💰

Still, all of tech is chasing larger screen access on-the-go. And foldables is one of several ways to deliver that... albeit at sizes & weight that scales up with screen growth. The 4 ways:

1. Fold
2. Roll(able screens)
3. Projection
4. Virtual (like those in Vpro).

Only 2 of those deliver a bigger screen(s) without adding size & weight. And only 1 of those delivers in any kind of lighting environment.

 

[macjaffa]

they should focus on making the fold
Enable smaller devices not larger ones imo.

 

[blcamp]

iPads are released in a roughly 18 month product cycle. While past devices have certainly lasted longer than that (my 15yo son has my old iPad Air 3), I can’t imagine a “foldable” or “rollable” display would physically survive beyond two years.

I’m struggling to understand how Apple is going to be able to market a product that we all know will cost roughly twice as much, and likely last half as long.

 

[ZeroInspo]

Of course they won’t make the device that makes sense: an iPhone that folds out to be a 8-10 inch-iPad. If they did they wouldn’t be able to sell you an iPhone and an iPad.

 

[Seanm87]

Before you write “who asked for this” remember you are not the only person in the world.

 

[contacos]

Of course they won’t make the device that makes sense: an iPhone that folds out to be a 8-10 inch-iPad. If they did they wouldn’t be able to sell you an iPhone and an iPad.

Exactly! It feels backwards to me. If I’m getting an iPad (or any tablet), it’s because I need something “big” most of the time. Why would I make it smaller, especially when I’m already carrying a phone around anyway? If anything, I’d prefer a small iPhone for, like, 70% of the time, with the option to make it bigger for watching videos or writing down quick notes. Hence, no need to carry another device around just to watch some movies on a plane.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Not sure about all these foldables. I seriously doubt Apple will be able to get rid of the crease. But you never know I guess?

Knowing Apple of the crease has to be there they’ll design a special UI for it.

 

[Le0M]

I bet Apple will lunch it as a new device, not an iPad, nor a Mac.
And it'll have its own OS.

Make your bet 😉

 

[nfl46]

That’s a very long time. We will have another president by time it’s released in 2030 since we all know that 2028 date ain’t happening.

 

[wanha]

It's going to be €3000 at a base price, I think. Or more.

I don't know if it will be that expensive, but if existing foldable phones are anything to go by, it certainly seems likely that a foldable phone from Apple will be extremely expensive

 

[ThomasJL]

Apple is working on a "giant" foldable iPad that unfolds into the size of two iPad Pros side-by-side, which the company aims to release around 2028, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

[sarcasm]
Just what I always wanted—a crease! Now if Apple could also add a notch to the iPad screen to go along with the crease, it would be just perfect! Tim Cook is the best!
[/sarcasm]

 

[ddhhddhh2]

Can’t run localhost, Xcode, Python, TS, Node, Docker… Who even needs such a massive piece of junk? Oh, wait—I almost forgot. People say you can remote into another Mac to do dev work. So yeah, I guess it really is a “second computer.”

 

[krell100]

Perhaps they should get macOS running on iPads first…

 

[Biro]

I bet Apple will lunch it as a new device, not an iPad, nor a Mac.
And it'll have its own OS.

Make your bet 😉

Or… will this finally be the device that can run iPadOS and MacOS depending on how it is configured? If Apple is going to price these in the $3-4K range, why not shoot for the stars?

 

[cicalinarrot]

Judging from all recent Macs, a display that lasts less while being way pricier and harder to replace is every Apple executive's wet dream.

 

[Biro]

Perhaps they should get macOS running on iPads first…

See my post above.

 

[markcres]

Just give me a laptop with lots of ports and a proper mechanical style keyboard. I'm not interested in devices that are wafer thin with a giant touchpad. I want a pleasing typing experience and lots of ports with a removable battery so I can keep a spare on the go.

 

[AlexESP]

Of course they won’t make the device that makes sense: an iPhone that folds out to be a 8-10 inch-iPad. If they did they wouldn’t be able to sell you an iPhone and an iPad.

They won’t make it, first of all, because it’s not physically possible. Well, theoretically it is, because inches are measured diagonally, but you would need to fold it in the x axis. But in practice we’re talking about areas, and the iPhone 16 PM is not even half the size of the iPad mini. Not saying it wouldn’t be interesting, but it wouldn’t replace the iPad (not even the smallest one).

 

[USB-Adapter]

We already had a foldable iPhone 6 Plus. It didn't go well, I heard.

I'd prefer an iPad with macOS Apps, tho.

 

[wanha]

Of course they won’t make the device that makes sense: an iPhone that folds out to be a 8-10 inch-iPad. If they did they wouldn’t be able to sell you an iPhone and an iPad.

The surface area of an iPhone 16 Pro Max is 19.6 square inches.

Meanwhile, the surface area of an iPad Mini is 40.7 square inches.

So yes, you could in theory take the biggest iPhone and make it foldable (a slightly smaller mini).

What speaks against it is weight and cost.

A foldable design comes with significant additional weight and bulk on an already large phone, and I wonder how many people really want to lug something so big and heavy around with them everywhere they go.

As for cost, I highly doubt this kind of device would sell for less than $1700.

$1700 is the combined cost of a brand new iPhone 16 Pro Max and a iPad mini (both at base specs)

So yes, it's technically possible, but I fear its market would be quite small.