Apple is working on a foldable tablet that is twice the size of the firm’s largest iPad, according to reports.
The rumoured device, first reported by Bloomberg, is expected to launch in 2026 “at the earliest” and feature a “nearly invisible crease” connecting “two iPad Pros side-by-side”.
Apple designers have already built a prototype of the folding iPad, which would reportedly be 18.8-inches in size when fully extended.
The Independent has reached out to Apple, though the tech giant typically does not comment on unreleased products.
Rumours of a foldable iPad or iPhone have been circulating for more than a decade, with the US tech giant filing a series of patents relating to the technology since 2011.
Market analysts have previously predicted that Apple will launch a folding iPad before they launch a bendy iPhone, despite competitors like Samsung and Google releasing foldable smartphones.
A foldable iPhone is seen as a high risk product for Apple, as it risks “cannibalising” the market share held by the existing iPhone lineup, according to researcher Ben Wood from CCS Insight.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has previously warned that the world’s most valuable company could fall behind its rivals if it does not release a foldable device.
Following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019, the tech pioneer said that the company had become complacent in terms of hardware innovation due to the success of the iPhone.
Earlier this year, a report from The Information claimed that a clamshell folding iPhone had moved beyond the concept stage and could begin shipping as early as 2026.
