Foldable iPad Now in 'Intensive Development,' Could Be Announced as Soon as Next Year
Apple's rumored foldable iPad is now in "intensive development" and could be announced as soon as late 2024, according to DigiTimes.
![Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Blue](https://images.macrumors.com/t/XP0OVeh-2kVWhPakrsNzFAe9EVg=/400x0/article-new/2020/10/Foldable-iPhone-2023-Feature-Blue.jpg?lossy)
In a paywalled report that cites supply chain sources, DigiTimes outlines how Apple is now working with suppliers on foldable iPad development, ahead of small-scale production scheduled for the end of 2024. The Taiwanese publication believes that this indicates Apple could announce the device in late 2024 or early 2025 if progress remains steady.
Apple has apparently been working on foldable products for four years and continuously made design changes in this time, planning to release a foldable iPad before working on a foldable iPhone. Apple chose to focus on the iPad because it makes up a comparatively small proportion of the company's sales, meaning that potential issues are easier to manage and less impactful.
The company has reportedly not yet finalized the design of the foldable iPad. Initially, Apple's product design team led the project but this role is now said to have shifted to the procurement department to bring down costs. Apple's main objective at this stage is to achieve a more cost-effective design, motivating contentious changes to the device.
A main issue is said to be the device's panel and hinges, with Apple being particularly concerned about the display creasing. The company is purportedly looking to Samsung and LG to provide a display that mitigates the creasing effect using mechanical design solutions. Apple is seemingly able to obtain sufficient supply of the device's hinge, but is still seeking a design that is more cost-effective and easy to mass produce, which could require further simplification and reduction in the number of parts.
Mass production of Apple's first foldable is expected to commence in 2025. DigiTimes believes the foldable could boost iPad shipments, sparking an uptick in otherwise shrinking global tablet sales.
Popular Stories
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...
Top Rated Comments
2) Get excited
3) See "Digitimes"
4) Close the site.