If you’re dying to see Apple make a foldable device (according to one phone commercial you are), this rumor will give you something to look forward to. According to South Korea-based The Elec, Apple is working on a device with a 20.25-inch OLED display that measures 15.3 inches when folded and could be available as early as 2026.
The Elec’s original article is in Korean, and a Google Translate version of the article includes mentions of the MacBook and iPad as points of comparison. The Elec speculates that “it is very likely that this project product will have a shape close to a MacBook (laptop)”, but there are no details on what the design of this 20-inch MacBook would be and how components such as the keyboard and trackpad would come into play with the form factor.
The report says that this device will only become available after Apple implements OLED screens in all of its products. The Apple Watch and iPhone are currently the only Apple devices to use OLED screens, though The Elec claims the iPads will get OLED upgrades in 2024, while an OLED MacBook won’t appear until 2025 or 2026. So this foldable device is still a long way off.
The Elec also states that Apple could release an “iPad-shaped foldable product” before the 20-inch device and that a foldable iPad that will replace the iPad mini in 2025 is in the works. In October, The Information reported that Apple is working on a 16-inch iPad that may be released as early as 2023.
As for a foldable iPhone, The Elec states there’s a “low” chance of it happening because there’s no discernible benefit to it.
