What you need to know
- Apple is reportedly working on a foldable display that could transform into both a Mac and iPad.
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says it would be completely touch-based and ditch a physical keyboard.
- If it does come to fruition it would be as early as 2026.
Last week, Ross Young from Display Supply Chain Consultants said that Apple may be venturing into the world of notebook computers with a foldable display.
According to Young, Apple is working on a 20-inch foldable display that could see the light of day as soon as 2026:
On the other hand, we are now showing Apple in our roadmap for foldable notebooks. We hear there is interest at the largest size yet, around 20.x". This size could create a new category for Apple and would result in a true dual use product, a notebook with a full-size keyboard when folded and for use as a monitor when not folded and used with an external keyboard. It may also allow for UHD/4K resolution or even higher at that size. The time frame is likely later than 2025 though, it could be 2026 or 2027.
Today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated Young's claim and said that he has also been told that Apple is working on the technology. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman goes on to say that Apple's massive foldable could transform into a Mac or iPad depending on the user's needs.
In addition, Gurman says that Apple will ditch a physical keyboard and trackpad in favor for a full touch experience on the device:
Apple is working on a foldable device with a roughly 20-inch screen, according to Ross Young at Display Supply Chain Consultants, who cited supply-chain checks. There's been speculation over how Apple could adopt such technology: The company could go with a foldable 20-inch screen attached to a physical keyboard or just have one side of the display serving as a virtual keyboard. I'm told Apple has indeed been exploring a dual-screen, foldable MacBook/iPad hybrid that would take the second approach. It would trade in the physical keyboard and trackpad for a fully touch-screen base (the Lenovo model above gives you a sense of what that might look like). The device has been in development for the past couple of years, but will it see the light of day? According to Young, the company is targeting a release around 2026, which would put in the same time period as an Apple car and its long-anticipated AR glasses.
It's no secret that Apple has been experimenting with foldables, but up until now, the rumors have been focused on a foldable iPhone rather than an iPad or Mac. However, all prospects are interesting if Apple can figure out how to create a form factor and glass experience that hasn't been perfected by other companies like Samsung and Lenovo just yet.
While we wait, perhaps, endlessly, for a foldable Mac/iPad hybrid, the company is expected to announce a new iPad Air and at least one new Mac at a long-rumored March event.
