Rumors suggest that Apple has been working on a foldable device for some time. A foldable iPhone is likely to be the first to appear in the next few years, while a 19-inch foldable MacBook is also said to be in development, along with an 18.8-inch foldable iPad.

As Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests in his Power On newsletter, a foldable iPad with an 18.8-inch display and “nearly invisible creases” is likely to appear in 2028. However, according to The Wall Street Journal (via MacRumors), the foldable MacBook with a 19-inch display will debut after the foldable iPhone is expected to be released in 2026 or 2027.

Coincidence? Perhaps. Initially, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo announced a 20-inch foldable MacBook, but recent rumors from display expert Ross Young suggest that it will now feature an 18.76-inch display. Subsequent leaks of Apple's roadmap point to a huge 18.8-inch foldable iPad, specifically a “tablet/laptop/monitor.”

This is consistent with Gurman's thoughts on a foldable iPad, which is said to be “like two iPad Pros side by side.”

If the foldable MacBook that the WSJ report suggests is rounded off to a 19-inch display size, then Apple reason to believe that it plans to introduce a foldable iPad-MacBook hybrid.

The expected release date is also consistent. According to reports, the foldable hybrid model is likely to be released sometime in 2028, so Apple's foray into foldable tablets and laptops is still several years away.

This is not the first time we have heard about an Apple foldable device, as rumors that the Cupertino tech giant is exploring a foldable MacBook have been whispered for years. This could mean that Apple is rethinking its plans and that it is likely to be a hybrid device.

Apple has not yet officially revealed this foldable iPad/MacBook hybrid (not surprisingly), so specific pricing and release dates are unknown. But if it does go on sale, we're much more excited to see the hybrid than the overly large foldable MacBook. [Interesting (but expensive) laptops like the HP Spectre Fold and the Asus Zenbook 17 OLED are showing how it works; it would be nice to be able to turn a 12“ laptop display into a large 17” screen on the fly and it is also convenient to use it as a tablet.

But all of this would be spoiled if the operating system, design, and peripherals did not work together seamlessly. There is a reason why not many full-screen foldable laptops are available. They are difficult to use as tablets, they come with keyboards that are too cramped, and they don't yet have a touchscreen-compatible operating system like the iPadOS. And it would be nice if affordability could be achieved.

A huge 19” foldable MacBook (size TBD) is not ideal to go this route; as the MacBook Air M3 and MacBook Pro M4 have proven, the MacBook is great as it is. [Apple has done a phenomenal job with the iPad and iPadOS over the years, and combining this with the capabilities of the MacBook and macOS would be a great recipe.

It's not that we haven't seen Macs run iPhone and iPad apps before, so seeing an iPad-type device run Mac apps would not be a complete stretch. In fact, Garman even states that the device will use “elements of both” the iPad and the Mac.

We've seen the iPad with the latest Apple silicon to great effect. Yes, there are some app limitations compared to the MacBook, but this iPad/MacBook hybrid will solve that.

Innovation is key to creating new devices that will be widely used in our daily lives, but there must be a foundation. Fortunately for Apple, the groundwork for a foldable laptop/tablet hybrid is already laid, and all it needs is to blend the strengths of the MacBook and iPad, not an oversized foldable MacBook with a touchscreen.

We're still a while away from Apple's rumored foldable iPad-MacBook hybrid, but it's already looking to be quite the device. As for other foldables Apple may have cooking up, check out the latest on the iPhone Flip.

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