Apple is reportedly targeting a 2028 launch date for its long-rumoured folding iPad model, which could be a disappointment for Apple fans waiting for the company to embrace flexible displays.
However, it might be worth waiting for judging by the latest reporting. According to Bloomberg’s Apple specialist Mark Gurman, the folding iPad and Apple’s first foldable is at least three years away.
Massive iPhone 15 deal
The outstanding iPhone 15 is now going for an unbeatable price, making it an essential upgrade for anyone after a newer iPhone with plenty of years ahead of it.
- Amazon
- Was £799 at launch
- Now £679
That’s the bad news, the good news is the device will be “something akin to a giant iPad that unfolds into the size of two iPad Pro models side-by-side.” according to the report.
The report deriving from Gurman’s Power On newsletter, claims Apple has finally settled on the foldable project it wants to bring to market first. And, although that’s three years away, it will be unique in its form factor among mainstream tech companies.
Gurman goes on to say this higher-end device will not have a screen crease, which is something that continues to be a compromise that foldable fans have been forced to acccept.
The report references Samsung’s struggles: “Prototypes of this new product within Apple’s industrial design group have a nearly invisible crease. But it’s too early to tell if Apple will can get rid of it altogether. Samsung Electronics Co., which launched its first foldable phone five years ago, has tried unsuccessfully to remove the crease.”
Indeed, Gurman calls the prototyped tablet a “single, uninterrupted piece of glass” and that’s likely to please the design sticklers out there who’ve been waiting for Apple to apply its unique vision to the foldables market.
He also says the produce will run more of a hybrid operating system combining the best of macOS and iPadOS. Given the two converged significantly in recent years, by 2028 there may be more similarities than differences between the platforms.
“I don’t believe it will be a true iPad-Mac hybrid, but the device will have elements of both. By the time 2028 rolls around, iPadOS should be advanced enough to run macOS apps,” he writes.
Those waiting for a foldable iPhone might be waiting a good while longer for that as, judging by the latest reporting, Apple may be focused on the iPad being the first foldable.
