Apple's foldable iPad is in big trouble, report says

Rumors of a foldable iPhone and iPad have persisted for years now. In fact, the latest rumors say that a foldable iPhone is still on track for a 2026 release.

However, there's a new report from Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman that may rain on the parade of any Apple fan awaiting a foldable iPad. If you were holding your breath for a foldable iPad, please don't. Because, according to Gurman's report, that foldable iPad is at least four years away, which is a lifetime in tech years.

Apple has been working with Samsung to develop a panel for the foldable iPad. This panel, according to Gurman, would reportedly give the folding tablet a whopping 18-inch display when unfolded. However, there are some issues with the panel's development, namely its cost and weight.

The still-under-development foldable iPad is expected to weigh around 3.5 pounds, and Apple's projected cost for the device is in the $3,000 range.

To put that into perspective, a foldable iPad would weigh more than double that of the current heaviest iPad Pro. In fact, the weight of a foldable iPad is currently around the same weight as a MacBook Pro. A foldable iPad could also cost consumers three times as much as the 13-inch iPad Pro, which costs $1,299, according to Gurman.

However, Gurman's report doesn't say that Apple has abandoned its plans for a refreshed iPad lineup with a new foldable. He says the company has been working with Samsung to develop a display with a minimal crease at the point where it folds. According to the report, Apple will use the same technology for the foldable iPhone, but has not run into the same issues with this smaller foldable smartphone.

The report says that the foldable iPad is being internally compared to Huawei's MateBook Fold, which is the China-based tech company's own version of an 18-inch foldable tablet. The MateBook fold was released in May of this year, retails for $3,400, and is only available in China. However, the MateBook Fold also weighs a pound less than Apple's current foldable prototype is said to weigh.

Apple was apparently aiming for a 2028 release for the foldable iPad. This blip in the development stage pushes that release back to 2029, if not even further