Foldables are never happening at Apple—Kuo says a folding MacBook has been delayed until 2028; no folding iPad
Foldables may never happen at Apple: An analyst claims a folding MacBook has been delayed and won’t launch for at least four more years.
Various industry sources have noted that Apple seems to be warming up to the idea of a foldable notebook. Recently, Apple’s leadership approved the project to create a new MacBook laptop featuring a touchscreen between 18 and 20 inches in size when opened. It would use a flexible OLED panel extending to the bottom. There would apparently be a virtual keyboard instead of a physical one.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted in an update shared on X that a foldable MacBook has been delayed due to technical challenges and is now at least three years away. The device should launch by the end of 2027 or 2028 at the earliest.
Kuo: A foldable Mac delayed until 2028
Mass production has been “delayed significantly” due to “technical challenges with the display and mechanical.” Kuo probably refers to the hinge mechanism, an Achilles heel in the current foldable design. Foldable displays often develop a crease at the folding area, which looks cheap and contributes to wear and tear.
He claims Apple has settled on the 18.8-inch display size, canceling the 20.25-inch design. The setbacks prompted the company to push back assembly work from the first half of 2026 to the end of 2027 or 2028. Eighteen months isn’t a small delay. Let’s hope the engineering challenges aren’t insurmountable.
Kuo is arguably the most accurate Apple analyst with sources that seem to be deeply entrenched in Apple’s Asian supply chain. This positions him well to learn about Apple’s moves and future product developments, even if his timeframes can be off.
A folding iPad may not exist at all
Kuo also claims in the same post that the Cupertino company is not working on a foldable iPad, which was rumored before. “Some market participants previously expected Apple to launch the foldable iPad in 2025, but the current supply chain survey indicates that the foldable iPad has no visibility,” he said, speculating that this may be because “some call this foldable MacBook a foldable iPad.”
However, as early as last year, the analyst was still banging the folding iPad drum, saying a folding iPad would feature a carbon fiber kickstand and arrive in 2024.
I’m not happy with these rumors. Four years is a very long time in the technology world. By the time Apple puts out its first foldable, assuming no further delays, the tech world will be hyping something else.
Also, I think it’s strange that Kuo did not share details about another secret Apple project, a foldable iPhone, that should have priority over a folding MacBook. The last we heard, that project also faced setbacks and technical challenges and has been delayed until 2028 (sounds familiar?)
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