Apple seems to be the only major smartphone brand that hasn’t landed a foldable into the market but that’s supposed to change next year with a purported iPhone 18 Fold. Aside from that, a foldable iPad (or MacBook) has also been in works behind closed doors at Apple which may have been delayed now.
The foldable 18.8-inch device was supposed to enter mass production next year which would have meant the device will release in 2027 but according to GF Securities’ lead analyst Jeff Pu, the device has been delayed internally at Apple (via MacRumors). Pu didn’t dive into details as to when we could expect the device but for now, it’s not coming for the next two years as per the leak.
Analysts have been offering differing launch timelines and product definitions for this device. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that a foldable iPad could arrive in 2028, featuring a massive 20-inch display. However, it remains unclear if he’s referring to the same product that others have described.
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Analyst Ross Young believes Apple is aiming for an earlier release, expecting a foldable, tablet-like device to launch in either 2026 or 2027. Meanwhile, analyst Jeff Pu suggests that Apple’s foldable will take the form of a MacBook-iPad hybrid, complete with a touchscreen and support for macOS.
Adding to the speculation, Ming-Chi Kuo has also referred to this large-screen foldable as a MacBook. Ross Young, in another report, mentioned Apple’s work on a notebook with an 18.8-inch display, while a December report from The Wall Street Journal claimed the company is developing a 19-inch MacBook with a foldable screen.
With so many differing details and potential product formats, it’s still unclear exactly what Apple’s first foldable device will look like—or when it will arrive. With iPadOS 26, Apple has begun offering an experience on iPads that’s quite similar to that of macOS, suggesting a hybrid device could also be possiBlue.