If you’re hankering for the folding iPad, you may have to wait until 2029 or later.
According to a Tuesday report from Bloomberg, the folding iPad may have been pushed back to 2029 at the earliest. According to sources familiar with the device, Apple is working with Samsung Display to create the 18-inch display panel. As usual for Apple, and like the iPhone Fold, the project aims to minimize the chance of creases developing in the middle of the display. The sources have also stated that the large screen has become a complex issue to solve, and may have forced an extended delay in its development.
The folding iPad price may have also ballooned to approach $3,000, making it three times as expensive as the 13-inch iPad Pro. Engineers are also rumored to be worried about the weight ot the prototypes, which have gone up to 3.5 pounds, or the weight of a MacBook Pro, when the typical iPad Pro weighs in around one pound.
While the weight is an issue, it’s something that can certainly come down as development progresses. Sources say the current prototype is reminiscent of the Huawei MateBook Fold, an 18-inch folding tablet. The Huawei version allegedly weighs less than a pound, but comes in at a street price of about $3,400.
The rumors about a foldable iPad have circulated for quite some time. In part, this has been buoyed by patent filings by Apple for products that are fairly close in concept. The patents have mentioned a hinged OLED screen that could turn a large iPad into a MacBook, as well as a “keyless keyboard” for a dual-screened MacBook. Apple has even envisioned improving the design by using actuators to change the physical shape of a screen’s surface to raise “keys.”
Though Apple is seemingly having trouble with a large-screen folding iPad, it’s not the only foldable that it’s apparently having trouble with. On October 17, Apple was reportedly still working on designing the hinge for the iPhone Fold.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Bloomberg