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The foldable iPad may not be an iPad, and you're going to be waiting for a while
- A new leak suggests that Apple’s first non-iPhone foldable will be a MacBook, not an iPad.
- Due to technical difficulties, Apple has reportedly delayed releasing its foldable MacBook from 2026 to late 2027 or 2028.
- The foldable will likely feature an 18.8-inch display, and there won’t be a 20.25-inch variant.
Earlier this month, a report suggested that Apple may release a foldable phone and a foldable tablet as soon as 2026. However, it now appears that Apple’s first non-iPhone foldable will actually be a MacBook rather than an iPad, and it likely won’t launch anytime soon.
According to the reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has delayed its foldable MacBook till late 2027 or 2028 due to technical challenges. The analyst also highlights that “the current supply chain survey indicates that the foldable iPad has no visibility,” suggesting that some insiders have mistaken the foldable MacBook for an iPad.
Kuo’s tweet doesn’t mention whether the MacBook’s technical obstacles also apply to the foldable iPhone or if the Galaxy Z Flip 6 rival is still on track for a potential 2026 release. He does state, though, that the foldable MacBook is now expected to rock an 18.8-inch display and that Apple is no longer working on a 20.25-inch model.
Given the complexity of this device and how distant its potential launch is, there’s little we can confirm about it. An official release is reportedly still at least three years away, and a lot could change by then. Apple could decide to delay it further, make significant modifications to its design, or even axe it altogether.
Just recently, the company killed its car project after spending billions of dollars on it over the past decade. Ultimately, Apple, like its rivals, often experiments with product prototypes internally, and only the promising devices generally make it to the consumer market.