We’ve had rumors claiming Apple was developing foldable devices for years now. Some focused on the foldable iPhone, while others detailed a foldable iPad/Mac contraption that Apple was supposedly devising. Interestingy, some of those reports claimed the foldable iPad/Mac would precede the foldable iPad.
Fast-forward to early 2025, and the rollout schedule seems clear, at least for the foldable iPhone. A Fold-type iPhone should be included in the iPhone 18 series, as most reports say Apple is preparing for a 2026 launch.
The foldable iPad might follow, with some reports saying the device will hit stores years after the first foldable iPhone launches. But GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu released two research notes to investors this week mentioning the foldable iPad, offering a more optimistic launch window.
Pu says the foldable iPad will enter mass production in the second half of 2026 alongside the foldable iPhone. This implies both devices will launch around the same time. More interesting is Pu’s second note that says the foldable iPad will run macOS rather than iPadOS.
It’s unclear where Pu got his information from, and the report seen by MacRumors doesn’t provide more details about how a tablet with macOS will behave.
I’ve long fantasized about the foldable iPad/Mac running a touchscreen-friendly version of macOS. Well, I actually wanted this device to dual-boot iPadOS and macOS so I could take advantage of each operating system’s strengths seeing as Apple wasn’t going to merge the two operating systems.
But Apple doesn’t need to merge iPadOS and macOS if it can make them look almost identical. Over the weekend, Mark Gurman detailed the big redesign coming to iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 this year.
I said this design makeover is necessary ahead of the foldable iPad’s launch. Apple needs this device to behave like a real computer, and the current state of iPadOS makes that impossible. Also, macOS can’t power the foldable iPad as it is today. We don’t have touchscreen Macs, so macOS isn’t optimized for touch input.
A major software redesign that spans all of Apple’s operating systems would fix these problems. If iPadOS and macOS look identical after this year’s update, Apple could use either one for a foldable iPad.
Gurman did say in his piece that the goal of the update is to set the stage for the next stage of Apple hardware, including foldables and touchscreen Macs:
Executives say the goal is to make the operating systems simpler to use, faster to navigate, and easier to learn. The software should also set the stage for new hardware designs, including foldable devices and touchscreen Macs. And it will have to adapt to an era dominated by artificial intelligence assistants, rather than people continually dipping in and out of applications.
If I were to choose, I’d take macOS over iPadOS for running on a foldable iPad any day, especially if macOS looks just like the iPad’s operating system. But that might be just wishful thinking for now.
We should learn more details about Apple’s software plans for foldable devices in the near future. Also, WWDC 2025 is almost upon us. We’ll see Apple’s big software overhaul in action well before the foldables are here.
