Apple's First Foldable Could Be an iPad With Small-Scale Production Said to Begin End of 2024: Report

Seems like a foldable Apple device could soon become a reality.

Written by Sheldon Pinto, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 20 October 2023 16:52 IST

Apple's First Foldable Could Be an iPad With Small-Scale Production Said to Begin End of 2024: Report

Apple’s smallest iPad is currently its Mini which was last refreshed in 2021

Highlights

Apple has avoided the foldable smartphones market for the longest time
Its first foldable is expected to be an iPad tablet
This foldable iPad tablet could go on sale by end of next year

Apple that has for long steered clear of foldables may be joining the segment soon. Earlier reports have shed light about a foldable iPad, instead of a foldable iPhone, but these were mainly guesses by noted analysts. Turns out, there is now some more evidence on that front with a source claiming that a foldable iPad will hit production next year and even possibly go on sale next year. Samsung may have had a nice head start with foldables over the past several years, but Apple seems to be targeting a different segment entirely going by the latest data.

More smartphone manufacturers have gradually started showing interest in the foldable smartphone category lately after Samsung's dominance over the same many years. Samsung has been the only smartphone brand to announce and launch its foldable lineup in India year after year. It's only over the end of last year and earlier this year, where more players like Motorola and Oppo have entered this space, with OnePlus being the only brand to launch a full-sized premium horizontal foldable after Tecno's Phantom V Fold debuted earlier this year. According to a report by DigiTimes, Apple is also readying its suppliers and lining up for the launch of its first iPad foldable.

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Its supply chain sources claim that small-scale production of this iPad foldable could begin by the end of 2024, as per the report. While Apple seems clear that it wants to be a part of the foldables race, it has yet to submit its design for the same. The source also claims that Apple will first experiment with bigger devices like the iPad before it applies similar tech to iPhones.

As per the publication's sources, Apple's goal is to achieve a cost-effective production by using a simpler design. The source also claims that Apple chose the iPad over the iPhone because iPadOS is similar to the iPhone's iOS operating system. Another reason for Apple choosing the iPad for its first foldable is down to risks in the sense that the iPad still forms a smaller chunk of Apple's revenues compared to a product as important as the iPhone.

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Meanwhile, an earlier report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted that Apple's foldable iPad would use a carbon-fiber kickstand and that it would arrive in 2024. The new updates corroborate the older news. Kuo back in January also mentioned that Apple would shift to this foldable iPad as Apple's tablet shipments decline even further (by 10-15 percent) this year.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Further reading: Apple, Apple iPad, iPad Foldable, Apple iPad Fold

Sheldon Pinto

Email Sheldon Pinto

Sheldon Pinto is based in Mumbai, and has several years of experience in reviewing smartphones and gadgets. As a Senior Reviewer at Gadgets 360, you will always find him deeply immersed in his reviews, switching from one phone to another. When the battery dies out, Sheldon is always browsing the web for a good sci-fi movie or reading up on cars and bikes. He also loves creating lists of interesting places to eat and travel. Sheldon is available on Twitter at @shellshocd, and you can mail him at ...More