Apple could be pushing for an early foldable iPad launch, according to the latest report, and while talks of an iPhone bearing the same form factor might be buried for the moment, if a tablet can be mass produced with a new hinge design, there is no reason to believe Apple will not pursue something like this for the mobile phone space.
A new foldable iPad could feature a simplified hinge, as it continues to be one of the major hurdles behind Apple’s lack of development of such devices
The foldable iPad is said to under ‘intensive development,’ according to a paywalled report published on DigiTimes that was spotted by MacRumors. Apple is said to be working with unnamed suppliers on the tablet, with a small production run scheduled to take place by the end of 2024. Assuming everything goes according to plan, which is an optimistic approach, then the foldable iPad launch may happen by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Previous reports have stated that the technology giant has been working on this product for four years, and there have been multiple design changes in an attempt to improve the foldable iPad. One reason why the company is said to pursue a launch of the foldable iPad and not a foldable iPhone is because this segment makes up a small percentage of the firm’s overall earnings, so mass producing thousands of units for a single production run will mean that the company will have to address fewer issues if any show up.
One of the biggest challenges that Apple reportedly hopes to address with the foldable iPad are the panels and hinges. With the majority of competing products, there is a visible crease in the middle of the foldable handset or tablet, and while other manufacturers do not view this as a cosmetic imperfection, Apple most likely does. The California-based giant has been working with Samsung and LG to mass produce flexible OLED panels with minor creasing effects.
Apple also wants to procure a simplified hinge design that does not wear out quickly. One industry source stated that the entire mechanism features 885 parts, making it quite an intricate piece of the puzzle. We have not touched on the pricing or specifications of the foldable iPad, but since this will be a fresh form factor, it will likely be fueled by powerful internals and, therefore, will probably be expensive. Unfortunately, several details continue to elude us now, but we will have more information in the coming months, so stay tuned.
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