A Foldable iPad Is Still Years Away — And It Won’t Be Cheap
iPad Fold Concept [Kevin Noki / YouTube]
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Seeing the various rumors of Apple’s plans for foldable devices over the years has felt like watching a game of leapfrog. Apple has been exploring the technology for nearly a decade, but analysts rarely agreed on which would come first — an iPhone, an iPad, or something else entirely.
After Samsung brought the notion of foldable smartphones mainstream with its Galaxy Z Fold in 2019, many pundits insisted Apple would soon follow suit. It had to, they reasoned, or risk being left behind. However, another camp firmly believed we’d see a foldable 5G iPad first.
We can probably forgive analysts and leakers for much of the confusion, as there’s no doubt Apple is working on both classes of device — and it may have even changed its own plans more than once. It’s possible everyone was right at one time or another.
Nevertheless, Apple’s plans seemingly came into focus about two years ago, as more sources began consistently reporting the iPhone would lead the way into that foldable future. There was initially some inconsistency on whether that would be a clamshell-like “iPhone Flip” or a book-like “iPhone Fold,” but all reliable sources now agree it’s the latter — and it’s expected as soon as next fall.
Unfortunately, the so-called “iPad Fold” is another matter. There’s never been any real doubt that Apple was exploring such a device, but it seems to have been pushed so far down on Apple’s list of priorities that some wonder if it will ever see the light of day. While analysts such as Ming-Chi Kuo and Ross Young have more optimistically estimated a 2026–2027 timeframe, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in December that a foldable iPad was unlikely to arrive before 2028. Then, DigiTimes tossed out a bigger curveball over the summer when it revealed that work on the tablet had paused due to design challenges and rising production costs.
Despite years of rumors about an iPad Fold, one thing we rarely heard about is what such a device might cost. Apple has already been pushing tablet prices upward with the cutting-edge iPad Pro, which can now easily run into the MacBook Pro price range if you opt for higher capacities. It’s not hard to imagine what kind of premium an 18–20-inch foldable iPad would command.
Well, after years of vague timelines, we’re finally getting a clearer picture — and it’s not exactly comforting.
The Foldable iPad Keeps Slipping — and Getting More Expensive
It looks like the iPad Fold will be priced in high-end MacBook Pro territory — models at the M4 Max level. It’s also going to be at least another year away. At least, that’s what Gurman predicted when he weighed in earlier this week with a new report saying that Apple has hit more “development hurdles” that will delay the launch.
The company has been working on the device — projected to cost around $3,000 — for several years and had most recently aimed for a 2028 release. But engineering challenges tied to weight, features and display technology have pushed its potential debut to 2029 or later, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mark Gurman
Gurman didn’t elaborate on pricing beyond the “around $3,000,” but it’s a safe bet that he’s talking about the starting point here, since that’s typically how Apple positions all of its devices. That means higher-end configurations with cellular connectivity and more storage could easily approach $4,000.
Big Screen, Bigger Challenges
“Developing the technology for an 18-inch foldable display has proven especially complex and costly,” Gurman notes, “pushing estimated prices to roughly triple that of a 13-inch iPad Pro.” There’s also no way Apple will cut corners on such a device, which means using the best OLED panels and chips available.
The other design challenge is weight. Sources say the test units currently weigh 3.5 pounds. By contrast, Apple’s new M5 MacBook Pro comes in at 3.4 pounds, while the 13-inch iPad Pro is just 1.28 pounds. Since the foldable iPad is expected to sport an 18-inch screen when open, it’s likely to have a slightly smaller footprint when folded than the largest iPad Pro, assuming it uses a similar aspect ratio — which makes its nearly three-times-heavier design all the more surprising.
Gurman confirms that Apple’s folding tablet won’t include an external display like foldable smartphones. “When closed, the device resembles a Mac laptop,” he says. The prototype is reportedly similar to Huawei’s MateBook Fold, which sells exclusively in China for about $3,400 USD.
Can Apple Make It Make Sense?
Engineering aside, this raises the question of where Apple would fit such a device into its lineup. The iPad Pro has two primary advantages over a MacBook: portability and a touch screen interface. A heftier iPad Fold would retain only one of those, and there are already reports that Apple plans to blur the lines with next year’s M6 MacBook Pro, which could feature a touchscreen.
Of course, a folding iPad would still be a fundamentally different device. Opening it up to an 18-inch canvas would make it larger than any MacBook Apple has ever made — though you’d have to supply your own keyboard, which would detract from portability.
One thing that seems clear is that Apple wants this device to make as big a splash as possible when it launches, reinvigorating the iPad lineup and showing it can compete with more established large-screened foldable devices. That means Apple will take as much time as it needs to create the most compelling device it can — but it also means the company won’t hesitate to scrap the project entirely if it doesn’t live up to its high standards. Either way, the iPad Fold may be Apple’s boldest gamble yet — one that might bend expectations as much as its screen.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
