Foldable iPad Or MacBook? Apple Reportedly Working On New 18.8-Inch Device

The foldable devices market has seen some massive moves over the years, although they may not have been by the biggest player: Apple. In a market full of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Flip, Huawei XT Mate, Honour Magic V3, and others, Apple has struggled to drop its first foldable. However, that might change soon. 

After recent leaks of a $2,000-$2,500 book-style foldable iPhone, the latest to surface is about Apple working on a possible foldable iPad or MacBook, or something betwixt and between.

According to a recent Weibo rumour from reputed leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple has created a "foldable iPad Pro" prototype with several capabilities, including an under-display Face ID.

As per the leak, this prototype has a metal metalens and an 18.8-inch display, which “mainly integrates Face ID Rx and Tx for under-screen 3D face recognition.”

Rumours have been circulating for years regarding a foldable iPad, MacBook or tablet from the Apple stable. In 2022, analyst Ross Young mentioned a 20-inch foldable MacBook that could be released around 2026 or 2027.

In 2024, Apple’s five-year roadmap was reportedly leaked, hinting at the possibility of a “tablet/note PC/monitor” with an 18.8-inch screen, to be launched in 2028. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg further hinted of a foldable iPad, saying it could look like “two iPad Pros side-by-side.”

If these reports are taken as cue, Apple seems to be inclined to launch a tablet, rather than a laptop.

A FaceID with metalens—which is a thin, flat lens that allows for a smaller camera sensor and a thinner device—is rumoured to be featured on the iPhone 17 Pro variants, along with a smaller Dynamic Island. The use of metalens may pave the way for future thinner devices, like a foldable iPad/MacBook, with more storage for foldable tech.

The launch timeline is, however, up in the air, with differing reports. While Apple’s roadmap hints at a possible 2028 launch for the “foldable iPad,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo opined that the foldable iPhone could launch end of 2026/beginning of 2027. Yet another report indicates a foldable iPhone would launch after a foldable tablet.

Considering that grapevine around an Apple foldable has been around since 2015, and the company hasn’t made anything official, it’s better to take everything with a pinch of salt and watch out for something more certain!