Apple's 18.8-Inch Foldable Device Could Miss 2026 Production Target

Along with the iPhone 18 Fold expected to motorboat successful precocious 2026, Apple is moving connected a larger-screened foldable instrumentality that could beryllium a MacBook-iPad hybrid of immoderate sort. According to 1 analyst, some devices was acceptable to participate wide accumulation towards the extremity of adjacent year, but a caller study present suggests the larger exemplary is further distant than primitively thought.


In a probe enactment reflecting connected Apple's caller third-quarter earnings, concern steadfast GF Securities' pb expert Jeff Pu said helium expects "limited innovation" from Apple successful its upcoming iPhone 17 lineup. Instead, Pu reserves his excitement for the iPhone 18 Fold, for which helium has seen "intact progress" successful the proviso concatenation pointing to a merchandise successful the 2nd fractional of 2026.

"On the different hand," writes Pu, "the 18.8-inch foldable instrumentality is apt to beryllium postponed." The expert offered nary crushed for the expected delay, but the study suggests the instrumentality volition nary longer participate wide accumulation successful the 4th fourth of 2026 for a apt 2027 release, arsenic previously indicated.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple is moving connected a foldable ‌iPad‌ with a 20-inch show that volition travel retired successful 2028, portion expert Ross Young has said that helium expects a foldable tablet-like instrumentality successful 2026 oregon 2027, truthful it's harmless to accidental there's uncertainty astir a motorboat date. There besides look to beryllium conflicting reports astir what benignant of instrumentality the larger foldable volition be.

Pu believes the foldable instrumentality that Apple is moving connected volition beryllium a MacBook-iPad hybrid with a touch-based surface and enactment for macOS. Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo has besides referred to Apple's larger foldable instrumentality arsenic a MacBook, portion Ross Young has besides written astir Apple's work connected a notebook with an 18.8-inch display. The Wall Street Journal said successful December that Apple is moving connected a 19-inch MacBook with a foldable screen.

However, Gurman has referred to Apple's large-screened foldable instrumentality arsenic an ‌iPad‌, arsenic has probe steadfast Omdia. Whether the large-screened foldable is yet an ‌iPad‌ oregon a Mac volition travel down to the operating strategy that Apple is readying to use. If the instrumentality runs macOS, it'll beryllium successful the Mac family, and if it runs iPadOS, it'll beryllium successful the ‌iPad‌ family. Gurman has claimed that immoderate of the plan updates that Apple has made successful iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe to unify the operating systems volition pave the mode for foldable devices and touchscreen Macs, truthful a hybrid is besides a possibility.

• Foldable iPhone Expected Next Year: All the Rumored Features So Far

All successful all, the details of Apple's larger foldable instrumentality stay murky. That's successful opposition to rumors astir Apple's smaller book-style foldable iPhone, which person precocious been converging connected a 2026 release.
This article, "Apple's 18.8-Inch Foldable Device Could Miss 2026 Production Target" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

Discuss this article successful our forums