Apple’s Foldable iPad Will Flaunt The Size Of Two Tablets When Completely Opened, And There Is A Possibility That The Device Might Launch In 2028

Devices with a foldable form factor have yet to achieve the same popularity as ‘candy bar’ shaped handsets, and looking at this slow growth, it is not surprising that Apple is yet to launch something similar. However, one report states that the technology giant is actually working on a foldable iPad, and it has obtained some progress with it. According to the latest report, the company could launch it in 2028, with one of its unique attributes being that when completely unfolded, it will tout the footprint of two large-screen tablets placed side-by-side.

Biggest design hurdle with the foldable iPad has been avoiding the crease that is prominent on every device with the unique form factor

For a company that prioritizes the design language of its products, having a visible crease on a foldable iPad will be an immediate rejection from Apple. Unfortunately, this area has been the bane of every foldable smartphone maker, and while efforts have been made to mitigate the crease, there is plenty of room for improvement. Thankfully, Mark Gurman writes in his latest ‘Power On’ newsletter that Apple has made progress with its foldable iPad, with the company’s prototypes sporting a near-invisible crease.

“Apple designers are developing something akin to a giant iPad that unfolds into the size of two iPad Pros side-by-side. The Cupertino, California-based company has been honing the product for a couple of years now and is aiming to bring something to market around 2028, I’m told.

Apple’s goal for a foldable device is to avoid the crease that current products have when they’re in the open position. And the company has made progress on this front: 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.”

Given that the foldable iPad is estimated to arrive four years from now, the company has sufficient time to find workarounds that will eliminate the crease. As for which operating system the unnamed device will run, Gurman writes that it will likely be iPadOS or some version of it. He does not believe that Apple will develop a hybrid version of its tablet operating system, and by the time 2028 arrives, iPadOS should be able to run the majority of macOS apps. As for a foldable MacBook, the Cupertino giant was previously reported to have scrapped the version with a 20.25-inch display and is now focused on mass producing one with an 18.8-inch panel.