All the foldable iPhone and iPad rumors we’ve heard so far– BC

Apple is apparently working on some foldable devices. Let’s talk about it.

Rumors have been swirling around the internet for months (if not years) about Apple joining the foldable fray that companies like Samsung have found success in in recent years. There have been so many rumors and so much useless speculation that it would be impossible to cover it all in a single article, but the latest and most credible reports point to two foldable devices coming out of Cupertino: a new iPhone and a new iPad.

Without wasting any more time, let’s delve deeper. Here’s what we know about Apple’s possible first foldable devices.

Foldable iPhone: what we know

We’ve been hearing about a foldable iPhone since at least 2021, but more recent rounds of reports have shown a clearer picture of what to expect from this device and when we could expect it.

In February, The information reported that Apple was working on a foldable clamshell-style iPhone. If you’re not familiar with the terminology, that would make it more like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series of phones, which fold into a very small form factor and unfold into roughly the size and shape of a regular smartphone. This is distinct from the Galaxy Z Fold form factor, which is about the size and shape of a regular smartphone when folded, and more like a small tablet when unfolded.

A more recent round of reports from the Wall Street Journal in December corroborated this, suggesting that the new device’s screen size would exceed that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max when unfolded. According to this report, this device could be launched as early as 2026, but that is far from a guarantee at this point. As is always the case with unannounced concept devices, there is always a distinct possibility that it will never come to light.

Still, where there is smoke, there tends to be fire. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (who is known to be right about Apple more often than not) also said in his Ignition bulletin in December that a foldable iPhone could launch in 2026. If two different major outlets are hearing more or less the same things about this device, there may be more to it than just rumors.

Unfortunately, there’s still not much more to definitively say about the foldable iPhone. If these reports are to be believed, we may be almost two years away from even seeing the device, let alone getting our hands on it. Pertinent details like design, price, battery life, and special software features will have to wait until then.

Foldable iPad: what we know

The good news about the foldable iPad is that both of the above Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reports also included information about it, rather than just the foldable iPhone. The bad news is that we don’t know much more about the iPad than we do about the iPhone.

The WSJ report indicated that Apple is working on a larger device that is “intended to serve as a laptop.” The screen, when unfolded, would be about 19 inches in size, which is about four to five inches larger than the largest MacBook screens. This roughly coincides with previous reports from a Korean outlet. the electricwhich said in 2022 that Apple was working on a 20-inch foldable screen for use in a laptop or tablet.

But is it a MacBook or an iPad? We don’t know for sure. The WSJ report suggested it would be closer to a laptop, but Gurman’s newsletter said it would be more like a large iPad and would likely run on iPadOS rather than macOS. The difference is considerable, as iPadOS and macOS do not have the same feature set and do not support the same applications.

Anyway, it will be a while before we know. Gurman suggested that this larger device would launch in 2028, well after the launch of the supposed foldable iPhone. All of these reports also suggest technical hurdles that need to be overcome, such as making sure these devices are as thin as possible and can lie flat when deployed. If rumors are to be believed, Apple has plenty of time to fix those issues before these products see the light of day.