2019 was supposed to be the year of the foldable, but issues with Galaxy Fold review units and a mysterious delay of Huawei’s Mate X have left curious consumers in the lurch. Both of the phones will launch eventually, but it’s difficult to see foldable devices establishing any kind of foothold on the market this year.
That apparently hasn’t scared off Apple, though, as IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin claims that the company is developing a foldable product of its own. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about an Apple-made foldable, but the twist here is that Lin says Apple is building a foldable iPad, rather than an iPhone.
According to Lin, the foldable iPad will support 5G, will have the latest A series processor, and will feature a display nearly as large as the current MacBook line. He didn’t describe the design of the device, so we have no idea whether this foldable iPad will have a single screen that folds in half, or if Apple will go another route. Lin also noted that it will be highly portable and have “business-friendly” features, which might make it the laptop replacement the standard iPad isn’t (despite Apple making strides on this front in recent years).
Lin believes that the foldable 5G iPad could launch as soon as next year, but considering that Apple has yet to even release a 5G phone, it’s hard to imagine a 5G foldable tablet being ready within the next 18 months. That said, there have been rumors that 5G could come to the iPad line before it hits the iPhone.
