Apple's MacBooks are a pretty consistent product, even as the company waves goodbye to the 'wedge' design of the MacBook Air. However, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the MacBook is readying up to enter uncharted territory: Apple plans to make a foldable MacBook.
As revealed in a post on Twitter/X, Kuo shone a light on Apple's current development plans in response to people speculating on the possibility of a foldable iPhone or iPad — rumors that have been circulating for some time now, with the iPad being the most likely candidate.
However, Kuo tipped those rumors on their head by stating that "Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook."
最近我多次被詢問蘋果是否計劃在 2025 年或 2026 年量產可折疊 iPhone 或 iPad。我的最新調查顯示，蘋果目前唯一有明確開發時程的可折疊產品，只有配備約20.3"顯示器、並預計在2027年量產的MacBook。--Recently, I've received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the…March 7, 2024
The idea of a 20.3-inch foldable device from Apple isn't the kicker, as a previously leaked roadmap of OLED Apple devices from 2023 (as shared by tipster @Tech_Reve) has shown us that a foldable of similar size is currently being developed. But that foldable was labeled as an iPad Pro set to release at some point in 2026, and not a MacBook laptop.
This could potentially confirm that not only is Apple working on its first foldable device, but that device could also be one of if not the first touchscreen MacBook ever to be released by the company.
Apple OLED Roadmap pic.twitter.com/e4Vdq6e2VnNovember 5, 2023
Apple has been particularly averse to touchscreen laptops, with Steve Jobs himself claiming that the practicality of such a device is "Ergonomically terrible" back in 2010. However, since that time, touchscreen laptops have become something of a norm for Windows systems with some of the best 2-in-1 laptops making a strong argument for the feature's usefulness.
For a company invested into covering as many bases as possible when it comes to consumer tech, it makes sense for Apple to eventually cede on touchscreen elements for its MacBook lineups, though its foldable may not be the first.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple are already seeking to implement touchscreen elements into its laptops, starting with an OLED MacBook Pro — another device featured on the previously mentioned leaked roadmap, also set for 2026 release.
Outlook
Where Kuo's information differs from the leaked roadmap (which has proven itself to be somewhat accurate already by revealing this year's 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Pro models) is on when we can expect Apple's foldable MacBook Pro to arrive. While the roadmap says 2026, Kuo states that the foldable is likely to "enter mass production" in 2027.
It's likely that Apple's plans have changed since the roadmap first became available, and the touting of its foldable as a MacBook and not an iPad could be more of a marketing decision than any real indication of the expected hardware inside. However, both reports lend credence to one another in some way, and it seems increasingly likely that these plans will now come to fruition.
