Apple’s first foldable iPad should go into production by the end of 2024: report

Apple, which has long moved away from foldable products, may soon join this segment. Previous reports already shed light on a foldable iPad instead of a foldable iPhone, but these were mainly guesses from well-known analysts. Apparently there’s now some more evidence on that front, with one source claiming that a foldable iPad will go into production next year and possibly even go on sale next year. Samsung may have had a nice lead with foldable devices in recent years, but Apple seems to be focusing entirely on the latest data on a different segment.

More smartphone manufacturers have gradually started showing interest in the foldable smartphone category recently, following Samsung’s dominance during the same years. Samsung is the only smartphone brand to announce and launch its foldable range in India year after year. It’s only late last year and earlier this year that more players like Motorola and Oppo have entered this space, with OnePlus being the only brand to launch a full-size premium horizontal folding product after Tecno’s Phantom V Fold debuted earlier this year. According to a report from DigiTimes, Apple is also preparing its suppliers to launch its first foldable iPad.

Supply chain sources claim that small-scale production of this foldable iPad could begin in late 2024, the report said. While it seems clear that Apple wants to be part of the foldable race, it has yet to submit its design for that. The source also claims that Apple will first experiment with larger devices like the iPad before applying similar technology to iPhones.

According to the publication’s sources, Apple’s goal is to achieve 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 why Apple chose the iPad as its first foldable tablet has to do with risk, in that the iPad still represents a smaller share of Apple’s revenue compared to a product as important as the iPhone.

Meanwhile, an earlier report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted that Apple’s foldable iPad would use a carbon fiber stand and would be released in 2024. The new updates confirm the older news. Kuo also said in January that Apple would switch to this foldable iPad as Apple’s tablet shipments decline even further this year (by 10-15 percent).