Apple is reportedly still working on a larger folding device that could blur the lines between the iPad and Mac ranges. It could launch in 2029.
The iPad will fold in half, it's claimed, with the lower part forming a touchscreen keyboard.
There has been plenty of speculation about a folding iPhone, which many expect to launch later this year, but there is also word that Apple continues to work on a larger foldable device.
The iPad and Mac are currently quite separate devices, running different software and form factors, but according to a new report, the “gigantic” foldable could blur the lines between the two ranges, and arrive in the next few years.
What could Apple's larger folding device be?
This comes from Apple expert Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter (via MacRumors) and suggests that while there were rumours claiming the large folding device had been paused, that’s not actually the case.
Gurman believes that problems with weight and display technology could see it being pushed back to 2029, rather than follow the initial rumoured timeline of 2028, but it is still in the works, he says.
Rumours suggest it will have an 18-inch folding display, which is said to be made by Samsung, and it is thought that Apple is focusing on reducing the crease visibility, which it has been rumoured to be doing for the iPhone Fold, too.
It’s thought it will look like a MacBook when closed, featuring an aluminium shell, but when open it will be around the same size as the MacBook Air 13-inch. There won't be a physical keyboard, though.
Current prototypes are said to weigh around 1.59kg, which is quite a bit heavier than the current 13-inch iPad Pro.
It is also expected to be significantly more expensive than the iPad Pro, with reports suggesting this foldable iPad, or all-display MacBook, will cost nearly $4,000 if components don’t reduce in the next couple of years. If true, it means this folding iPad could be nearly three times the price of the iPad Pro.
Nothing is confirmed on the folding iPad front for now, but Apple has announced a new iPad Air running on the M4 chip.
