Recent rumors about Apple’s foldable plans have been quite conflicting, with the last one suggesting of an iPhone or iPad ‘Fold’ as the first foldable device from the company. Now, veteran leaker and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has chimed in and reiterated that a folding MacBook is more likely to happen first.
Apple’s first foldable device might be a MacBook
As a response to inquiries about Apple’s foldable roadmap, Kuo stated on a post X that it is more apparent that the company is developing a foldable MacBook that is closer to reality than a foldable iPhone or iPad. Kuo said the finding is based from its “industry surveys” and described that the MacBook Fold could arrive by 2027, which is about 3 years from now.
While there are no concrete details on how the folding MacBook would look like, it added that the device comes with a 20.25-inch folding screen which might refer to the unfolded state. Hence, this could suggest that the MacBook Fold will be comparable to the Asus ZenBook 17 OLED laptop (review) in form.
Kuo’s claim is supported by outlet Nikkei Asia, which has reported in December last year that Apple will only launch its first foldable device once it has finished transitioning to OLED screen in its entire iPad lineup. Right now, Apple is only set to announce the first OLED iPad sometime this March while it could only adopt OLED to the other iPad models after a year or two.
Before Kuo, South Korean The Elec was the first to share about the existence of a MacBook Fold in 2022. In the following year, analyst Ross Young has given weight to the possibility of an enlarged MacBook with a folding form factor, although both have a different launch window.
When can we expect to see the Apple iPhone Flip or iPad Fold?
Recently, it was touted that the foldable iPhone has a clamshell design than a book-styled folding handset. However, it was believed that folding display samples sent to Apple didn’t pass the company’s stringent testing standards and that could be further delayed.
For what’s all this worth, the first foldable iPhone or iPad may only be ready after 2027, making Apple as the one of the last major smartphone manufacturers to enter the foldable foray by that time.
What are your thoughts of Apple not making any foldable device anytime soon? Will this be a reason for the iPhone manufacturer to be surpassed by its competitors? Let’s discuss it in the comments.
Source:
Ming-Chi Kuo on X
