Now that Apple has finally brought OLED to the iPad in the form of the most recent iPad Pro, its next goal seems to be foldable devices. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone maker is working towards releasing a foldable iPad by 2028, while the Wall Street Journal says the company hopes to have a foldable iPhone on the market in 2026.
The iPad news comes courtesy of Gurman’s Power On newsletter, where the reporter’s (unnamed but frequently reliable) sources tell him that the folding iPad would be a whopping 18.8-inches and would be like “two iPad Pros side-by-side.” For comparison, the current iPad Pro caps out at 13-inches, and even the MacBook Pro only gets as large as 16 inches.
This isn’t the first time Gurman has reported on a folding iPad, as he previously covered a rumored 20-inch iPad meant to work like a MacBook, but with a touchscreen instead of a keyboard. This rumor originally came from Display Supply Chain Consultant Ross Young, but Gurman’s sources did confirm to him that Apple is considering such a device. If it comes to market, Young says it would likely be in 2026, although Gurman’s most recent rumors seem to indicate the 2028 device might supplant it.
Regarding the folding iPhone, the Wall Street Journal says it’ll have a bigger screen than the 16 Pro Max and should hit the market in 2026. Technically, The Information was the first to report on this phone way back in July, and Gurman’s gotten in on the speculation too, saying not to expect it “before 2026 at the earliest.”
As for why these devices are projected for so far out when companies like Asus and Samsung are already putting out foldable tablets and phones, it’s likely because Apple is working on a “nearly invisible crease,” which might be what it takes to compete in an increasingly intense market space.
Returning to the iPad, Gurman technically wasn’t the first to report on the rumored 18.8-inch device, as market research firm Omdia had previously predicted that one was in development. However, Gurman’s reporting adds significant credence to the idea.
Gurman also says that the device, while not confirmed to be running MacOS, “will have elements of both,” including being “advanced enough to run macOS apps.”
That should help justify the size a bit—like Asus’ Zenbook Fold line, a folding Apple tablet will likely be able to connect to an external keyboard, allowing it to also serve as a sort of portable desktop environment. That said, Korean outlet The Elec has previously said that Apple is considering 7- or 8- inch folding tablets as well, although that publication’s timelines don’t fully match up with the other reporting, so Apple might still surprise us all yet.
