The long-awaited foldable iPad with hybrid iPad-Macbook functionality may be released by Apple next year. A supply chain analyst claims that Apple may introduce a foldable iPad as soon as 2024. The availability of the foldable model is anticipated to increase product variety and shipments.
The same analyst also says that the foldable iPad will come out with a better iPad Mini, and that Apple might start making that model early next year.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, is “positive about the foldable iPad in 2024,” which is anticipated to increase productivity and shipments.
Anjie Technology, a Chinese component manufacturer, may produce a “carbon fiber” kickstand for the forthcoming foldable iPad, according to Kuo’s tweet, which did not provide many specifics.
According to other reports, Apple’s foldable iPad could have a “20-inch foldable” display that is a hybrid of the MacBook and iPad and may incorporate some aspects of this patent. According to analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), the company is looking into the possibility of the device, which could be released in 2026.
The technology of folding displays is still in its infancy, and few brands have products that are ready for sale. However, the industry is eager for Apple to enter the market with iPad or iPhone models. Customers who plan to spend a lot of money on a product may feel more secure if the product has additional durability layers.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a patent last week for this long-lasting folding display. Curiously, the listing suggests that Apple could use this patent for its foldable, curved, and flexible display panels.
Having said that, filing patents is a part of any business’s plan to prevent its rivals from developing products using the technology. Therefore, we are unsure even if Apple will use the registered patent in its subsequent products.
In February of last year, Display Supply Chain Consultant analyst Ross Young made the most recent significant prediction regarding a foldable iPad. Additionally, he had predicted the release of a 20-inch folding screen in 2026. Later, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple was looking into making a dual-screen foldable with a virtual keyboard on the bottom half that could be used like a MacBook.
In his prediction, Kuo also said that an iPad Mini might be released this year and start production in the first quarter of 2024.
