Rumors about the arrival of a folding screen iPad are blowing again. The latest leak says Apple will launch a foldable iPad in 2024.
This news comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a tweet, Kuo said the foldable iPad will be accompanied by a new iPad mini that will go into production in early 2024.
"I am positive about the foldable iPad in 2024 and predict this new model will boost shipments and increase product variety," Kuo said in a tweet, as quoted by The Verge, Tuesday (31/1/2023).
Kuo did not disclose more detailed information about this foldable iPad. He only said that the foldable device will have a carbon fiber kickstand that will be produced by the Chinese company Anjie Technology.
The presence of a folding screen iPad has been rumored for a long time, but the estimated time of its release keeps changing. Previously, analyst Ross Young from DSCC reported that Apple is developing an iPad and MacBook hybrid with a 20-inch folding screen, but it is likely that it will only be launched in 2026.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg also reported that Apple is developing a two-screen foldable device with a conventional MacBook-style design. Gurman didn't reveal a launch date, but he did say a foldable iPad would be released a few years later.
This is also not the first time Kuo has predicted the presence of a foldable device from Apple. In 2021, he said Apple will launch a foldable iPhone in 2023 with a screen size of around 7.5 to 8 inches.
In addition to the report on the folding screen iPad, Kuo also predicts that iPad shipments will decline between 10% and 15% year-over-year in 2023. This is not surprising considering that cellphone shipments have also started to fall since last year.
Finally, Kuo predicts that the newest iPad that Apple will launch next will be the iPad mini. He said the new generation iPad mini will begin production in the first quarter of 2024, following the 6th generation iPad mini launched in 2021.