Could Apple's next iPad Pro feature a folding design? After more display specs leaked on Monday, the long-rumored folding iPad may still be in the works at Apple.
Weibo-based tipster Digital Chat Station — who has a record of leaking information about foldable tech — posted on the Chinese social media site that a prototype for a foldable 18.8-inch iPad includes an under-display FaceID sensor. Here's the full posting:
"Guoguo also has a Foldable iPad Pro, the engineering version has an 18.8-inch screen and uses a metal meta-lens. It mainly integrates Face ID Rx and Tx for under-screen 3D face recognition. Are you interested in a foldable tablet?"
If true, this update would confirm that Apple is still working on a foldable iPad. However, the post didn't go into further detail about the prototype, but this is not the first we've heard about it.
Rumors about a folding iPad or all-screen MacBook have been circulating for at least a year, especially since Apple filed a patent for a hinge for foldable displays in March 2024.
Of course, this hinge could be for an iPhone, but in May 2024, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that a much larger foldable device is in the works — a giant iPad or an all-screen MacBook. According to Kuo, the device will reportedly feature an 18.8-inch or 20.5-inch display, which would be similar to a 14-inch or 15-inch laptop when folded.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported similar rumors even more recently in December 2024, hinting that the mysterious foldable could be some sort of iPad-MacBook hybrid.
Monday's leak that this upcoming foldable may feature under-display FaceID could mean it won't have a camera notch, so it would be truly all-screen. It would make sense for Apple to pursue a notch-free design so the foldable can be used in portrait or landscape mode. However, this rumor is referring to a prototype, so the specs and features of the final design are still in flux.
However, at the very least this rumor seems to indicate that Apple is still working on a foldable iPad or MacBook of some kind. The question now is, when could it launch?
When could Apple release the foldable iPad Pro?
Apple has yet to officially confirm that it is developing a foldable iPad or all-screen MacBook. Rumors about this mysterious device indicate that it's still in the early stages of development. However, there have been some hints about when Apple might announce it.
Kuo reported last year that "the target mass production schedule for the panel and assembly is 4Q25 and 1H26, respectively," referring to the 20.5-inch and 18.8-inch sizes. Kuo also predicted that the foldable will feature the M5 chip. For context, Apple's latest iPads and MacBooks are currently running on the M4 series chips. So, this means the foldable won't launch until at least 2026. If Kuo's predictions for the device's mass production timeline pan out, it might not launch until 2027.
Bloomberg's Gurman reported an even later launch window estimate of 2028. Gurman also predicted the foldable will ultimately run iPadOS, not macOS, meaning it will be more of a large, foldable tablet than a laptop.
It's too soon to say for sure what category Apple's all-screen foldable will fall into or exactly when it will launch, but it seems like we won't see it until 2027 at the earliest.
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