We’ve seen a fair number of reports already claiming that Apple is working on its own foldable device. While these point in almost equal measure to a phone and a tablet, a recent report suggests that it may even be a laptop.
MacRumors reports that DigiTimes has cited supply chain sources who claims that Apple has been working on its own foldable device for at least five years. Said foldable is said to be a “larger device” than an iPhone, which points to the possibility of it being a tablet, or even a laptop.
If it were the former, it wouldn’t be too surprising. After all, we’ve already seen plenty of reports claiming such, with a recent one claiming that it would be a device of around eight inches. This sits in between the size of most book-style foldable devices today, and that of the iPad mini, with said report claiming that the bitten fruit would go as far as replacing said small tablet.
Whichever archetype of device this Apple foldable ends up being, it won’t be something we’ll see getting a launch for quite awhile. This current report notes that the fruit brand’s first foldable device won’t be out until 2025 at the earliest. Prior reports have painted less optimistic pictures, providing a window of between 2026 and 2027. Of course, there were older reports with even more optimistic release windows, but these seem to be even less likely to happen as time goes on.
Explaining the seemingly ever extending development length, the report notes that Apple is facing challenges in designing a hinge for its foldable that meets its quality demands. Also noted is that the company is exploring various supplier sources for components, from hinges to the screens themselves.
