Apple is working on its first foldable product, according to a new report. In contrast to the Android competition from Samsung or Motorola , it shouldn’t be a foldable iPhone.
While Samsung is already in the starting blocks with the fifth generation of the Galaxy Z Fold , Apple has been holding back so far. You will look in vain for foldable smartphones in the Californian range. According to a recent report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it shouldn’t be the iPhone that’s the first to be bent. Instead, Apple is said to be working on a foldable iPad. Other insiders have already responded to the new information.
NEW MINI TABLET AND FOLDABLE IPAD ON THE WAY
In a series of tweets , Kuo, who often gets his details from suppliers, writes that Apple won’t be launching a new tablet for the next 9 to 12 months. Mass production of a new iPad mini is not expected to begin until the first quarter of 2024. He therefore expects tablet shipments to fall by 10 to 15 percent year-on-year.
The more exciting news, however, is that Apple is reportedly working on a foldable iPad. This is also scheduled for release in 2024. It will get a completely new design and offer a carbon kickstand. The analyst did not give any further details on technical data or how exactly the tablet can be folded.
However, Kuo’s timeframe for the presentation of the foldable iPad contradicts the reports of other insiders. The display specialist Ross Young wrote last February that a foldable 20-inch hybrid could appear in 2026 at the earliest. This should offer a notebook with a full keyboard when folded. When not folded, it can be used as a display or in combination with an external keyboard. With the iPhone, on the other hand, it could be 2025 or later. The company is in no hurry to enter the foldable smartphone market.
Similar headwinds to the Kuo rumors come from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman . He did confirm that 2023 will be an “easy year” for the iPad and Apple Watch . For 2024, however, he only expects revised Pro tablets with OLED displays, as well as minor updates for the regular iPad and iPad mini.
