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Report: Apple Starts Work on 20-Inch Foldable Display, Possibly for Future MacBook Pro

So... depending on the weight and thickness when folded, I could see this being a way to get, effectively, a 20-inch iPad to use on the go... And then fold it out and put it on a stand with a Bluetooth keyboard and you have a display bigger than the biggest laptop Apple makes...

It's touch and go, honestly. The whole value proposition for me will rest on "How heavy is this and how cumbersome to walk around with?" I like my iPad because it's lighter and easier to carry than a laptop. I wouldn't sacrifice that.
 
kirbyrun said:
So... depending on the weight and thickness when folded, I could see this being a way to get, effectively, a 20-inch iPad to use on the go... And then fold it out and put it on a stand with a Bluetooth keyboard and you have a display bigger than the biggest laptop Apple makes...

It's touch and go, honestly. The whole value proposition for me will rest on "How heavy is this and how cumbersome to walk around with?" I like my iPad because it's lighter and easier to carry than a laptop. I wouldn't sacrifice that.
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When folded its probably similar in size and weight to an iPad with a Magic Keyboard or a M2 MacBook Air.
 
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Apple would be stupid to not be exploring and testing out foldable displays, even if they themselves don’t know precisely where they’d use them yet.
 
Just imagine a huge foldable iPad Pro. 3 grand, iPadOS so you can't do anything. We think you are going to love it.
 
The only issue with a foldable iPad mini would be Apple's penchant to not allow tablets to function as a cellular phone. I'd use it as a phone folded in a heartbeat.
 
erikkfi said:
Apple would be stupid to not be exploring and testing out foldable displays, even if they themselves don’t know precisely where they’d use them yet.
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Don't you worry about that, with anything iPad related they don't know what they are doing. ;)
 
till said:
Foldables are a physical, mechanical problem that nobody has really come close to solving well. They damage easily and don't look seamless.

I'm sure Apple experiments with a lot of ideas, but it would surprise me if they managed to launch a foldable product which is radically better than the garbage out there.
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Just curious what reliability reports/data are you pulling the "mechanical problems" from? I've had the Fold 2, 3, and 4 and have used them for years with no issues. With that said I don't disagree that more mechanical/moving parts certainly have a higher probability of failure, but I haven't yet seen this epidemic of broken folding phones that some keep predicting.
 
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visualseed said:
When it comes to putting something in my pocket, I could handle thicker instead of wider. Having an iPad mini size screen that folds down to the current iPhone Max size screen but twice as thick would be an ok compromise.
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Every time I'm using my Mini 6 I wish that thing would just fold to the size on an iPhone.
 
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darngooddesign said:
When folded its probably similar in size and weight to an iPad with a Magic Keyboard or a M2 MacBook Air.
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That would be right on the cusp of what I'd consider getting. I'll have to wait and see (assuming this thing ever sees the light of day).
 
Very cool technology, but I still think the downsides outweigh the benefits, in a laptop.
I can see this technology having sense (for now) only in vertically folding phones.
 
Amazing Iceman said:
I used my old 17" MBP until the display backlight faded and was hard to read.
It lasted me a very long time.
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I remember a friend had one of those beasts back in 2011 when I was in UNI.
That thing was massive and gave you a sense of power, but funny enough the hardware inside was very lackluster.
I know many here won't agree but I think macbook pros really started to make sense only now that we have apple silicon.

Always been a massive fan of apple desktops, I even had the old mac cheese-grater
 
I don't see Apple ever accepting a screen with a crease or bubble at the hinge. They will have to come up with some heavy tech to get rid of those.
 
spinedoc77 said:
The only issue with a foldable iPad mini would be Apple's penchant to not allow tablets to function as a cellular phone. I'd use it as a phone folded in a heartbeat.
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iPad mini 6 works fine as a phone (with buds + VOIP app)... as did iPad mini 2 before it. Been using iPads as cell phones for nearly a decade now. Works great for me, costs much less overall and delivers more screen RE for everything else we do with our "phones."
 
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OMG - Apple, just take my money. I have literally been dreaming about this for years. I was hoping for an Apple display-based keyboard for my Mac Pro, but it never got here (only on the iPads). This would be a perfect MacBook/iPad replacement.
 
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AppleTO said:
A touchscreen can never replace a good mechanical keyboard so these devices will always be niche.
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While I generally agree with you, I can see having this large iPad that can fill in for a laptop in a pinch, or plug a keyboard into it. It kind of works for me and Id probably buy it. There's already something like it in Windows land, but the specs are too low for me to buy it. I need a faster processor...
 
I think this can work as an iPadOS device and as a secondary, portable monitor but the panels need to be seamless when open. I recall MacRumors articles that mention Apple looking into hard, not bendable, panels on hinges that can produce a seamless experience. So with that in mind, a fully open device can act as a large iPad or portable display. When folded like a laptop, it can act as an iPad with digital keyboard. Seems viable to me.
 
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