- A well-known leak said that the 18.8-inch foldable of Apple is still entering perhaps 2027
- Amazon also has a “ large ‘big’ foldable in the pipeline, however
- With Huawei who recently broadcast a foldable laptop, Apple may think that it is late on rivals – and we still do not know the exact nature of its device
The rumor of Apple foldable device – which could be a MacBook which is any screen and without physical keyboard, or a huge iPad tablet – once again appeared on the vine with an assertion that this could be here in 2027. However, Amazon could beat Apple to the shelves here, we are told.
As WCCFTECH noticed, the famous Apple Ming-Chi Kuo leak published on X to let us know that the 18.8-inch foldable of Apple should always enter mass production at the end of 2027 or 2028 (a period he previously mentioned, and I will come back at that time).
Apple competitors on the large foldable devices market may not be limited to Huawei. My research indicates that Amazon also develops a similar product internally, which has not yet been officially launched. If development is progressing as expected, it should enter …May 20, 2025
This comment came after Huawei revealed his MateBook Fold laptop at Computex 2025 earlier this week, which is an 18 -inch device, therefore of size very similar to the theoretical product of Apple here. (I should note that this rumor and rumor are foldable are 18 to 19 inches when they are completely unfolded, it is therefore the total size of the device).
Kuo also observed that Amazon is developing a “similar product” which has not yet been formalized, but this could be due to the end of the production lines at the end of 2026, or perhaps 2027 (add a lot of seasoning with all this).
Analysis: Lay delay on rivals?
The index that has been abandoned here, is therefore that Apple is late on the pneumatic stimulators in the giant arena of the foldable device, the Amazon calendar is apparently a year before that of Apple. Although that says, for something that is not even officially in progress, the Amazon apparatus making its debut at the end of next year seems to be a fairly fast path thanks to the development.
Will the key question, of course, Apple produce a 18.8-inch foldable macbook or iPad? (By the way, if a foldable laptop seems to be a strange term – and it is, since all laptops are folded up – it refers to a folding screen, rather than on the chassis. It is a laptop that has no keyboard and rather uses a virtual keyboard displayed on half of the screen).
This is where things become a little strange because the rumors suggested that the apple foldable device could be a laptop or a tablet. Kuo comparing it to Amazon’s foldable – which is surely a fire tablet – seems to suggest that it is a huge iPad. But then a direct comparison is also made to Huawei’s foldable laptop. In addition, the leak uses in particular the neutral term “device” rather than any suspicion of mention of a laptop or a tablet.
What suggests to me is that Apple works through concepts on both sides of the fence, tablet and laptop, and has still not made the decision of the operating system, macos or iPados, and what will be more useful: a macbook with a folding screen (and a virtual keyboard), or an iPad that can fall back to be a giant screen.
Personally, I think that the MacBook idea is the precursor (and rumors on Apple working on a laptop with a virtual keyboard have existed for ages). Although more innovative and attracting attention, it is the most risky decision, of course, in terms of bringing Mac fans to accept the lag of a physical keyboard in favor of an effort based on the screen. It should be a very good virtual keyboard, that’s for sure. A large iPad would be a safer avenue to walk when you look at these ideas in this light.
What is also interesting is that Kuo has not changed the outing period for this 18.8-inch foldable since he spoke about it in mid-2024, which could be read as Apple being on the right track with its development calendar here. Or Kuo has simply heard anything else, especially with regard to this decision to make equipment a laptop or a tablet.
Overall, it’s a bit worrying, but if this large foldable device really comes from Apple, we should receive clues earlier early. And it is certainly true that the plans of rival laptop manufacturers (or tablets) will help stimulate Apple’s thought processes and carry out this product, or I imagine yes, anyway.
