Apple Said to Be Working on a 20.3-Inch Foldable MacBook, Expected to Enter Production in 2027

Apple has been rumoured to be working on foldable iPhone and iPad models, as well.

Written by Manas Mitul, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 7 March 2024 15:04 IST

Apple Said to Be Working on a 20.3-Inch Foldable MacBook, Expected to Enter Production in 2027

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple released two new M3-powered MacBook Air models this week

Highlights

Apple has not confirmed its plans for a foldable product
The company has been reported to be working on a large-screen foldable
Apple reportedly paused development on a foldable phone last month

Apple is said to be working on several foldable devices, with a clamshell foldable iPhone, a foldable iPad and an unspecified foldable product with a larger display rumoured to be in the works. New information, however, suggests that the company's first foldable could be a MacBook. A reliable Apple analyst has claimed that the Cupertino, California-based company is working on a foldable MacBook. The update comes after Apple was said to have halted development on its foldable phone last month.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, TF Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a MacBook was Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule at the moment. If true, this would put the rumoured foldable iPhone and a foldable iPad further down the pipeline. According to Kuo, the foldable Mac would sport a 20.3-inch screen and would likely enter mass production in 2027.

“Recently, I've received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the foldable iPhone or iPad in 2025 or 2026,” Kuo said in his post. “My latest survey indicates that currently, Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027.”

Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

最近我多次被詢問蘋果是否計劃在 2025 年或 2026 年量產可折疊 iPhone 或 iPad。我的最新調查顯示，蘋果目前唯一有明確開發時程的可折疊產品，只有配備約20.3"顯示器、並預計在2027年量產的MacBook。

--
Recently, I've received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 7, 2024

The new information suggests that Apple's foldable products are still a few years away from hitting the market. Meanwhile, Samsung, Apple's biggest rival in the mobile space, already has five generations of its clamshell and book-style foldable phones out. Google, too, released the Pixel Fold last year and is said to be working on a second-generation device.

There are no details yet available about a purported foldable MacBook, or how the folding mechanism would be integrated into the device, considering all laptops are inherently foldables. Apple has not confirmed its plans for a foldable product. Most recently, the company launched two new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, both powered by its in-house M3 chipset.

Apple MacBook Air Models With M3 Chipsets Debut in India: See Price

A report last month had said that Apple was developing a foldable device larger than an iPhone, which could suggest a foldable Mac in the works, in line with Kuo's claim. The report had said that the large-screen foldable could arrive in the form of a notebook or a tablet.

A tipster also claimed last month that Apple had paused development on a foldable phone over issues with the folding display. But the company has been reported to be working on both a clamshell-style foldable phone and a foldable iPad, with both devices said to be in early development stage.

Is the new expensive 10th generation iPad worth buying instead of its predecessor? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Apple, Apple Foldable, Foldable, Foldable iPhone, Foldable iPad, MacBook, Foldable MacBook

Manas Mitul

Email Manas Mitul

In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More