Kuo: Folding All-Screen MacBook Delayed Until Late 2027 At the Earliest

2024.08.22 3 min read

Apple’s rumored foldable MacBook won’t arrive until the end of 2027 or 2028 at the earliest because of technical challenges, according to the latest prediction by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Concept by Astropad

Previous reports from display industry analyst Ross Young, Haitong analyst Jeff Pu, Korean website The Elec, and Kuo himself suggested that Apple is developing an all-display foldable laptop that will feature a 20.2-inch or an 18.8-inch screen.

When folded, the laptop was rumored to be a full-size on-screen keyboard that seamlessly integrates the typing experience into the display itself. When completely unfolded, the device was said to function as a standard monitor. Paired with an external keyboard, it would essentially transform into a large-screen desktop setup.

Kuo in May said that LG Display was aiming to begin mass production of display panels for a MacBook with a 20.2-inch or an 18.8-inch foldable screen in the fourth quarter of 2025. However, his latest post on X (Twitter) claims that Apple has canceled the 20-inch design and has now settled on a display size of 18.8 inches.

“Some market participants previously expected Apple to launch the foldable iPad in 2025,” said Kuo in his latest post. “But the current supply chain survey indicates that the foldable ‌iPad‌ has no visibility. This may also be because some call this foldable MacBook a foldable ‌iPad‌.”

Apple has been experimenting with various devices with foldable displays, including a foldable iPad and MacBook. Obviously the MacBook is already foldable, but Apple has reportedly been exploring an all-display MacBook form factor that has no standard keyboard.

Display analyst Ross Young said in July 2022 that Apple could bring some kind of foldable laptop to market in 2026 or 2027, and it remains unclear if such a device would be classified as a Mac, an ‌‌iPad‌‌, or something in between.

In a May report, Haitong analyst Jeff Pu said Apple’s first foldable devices would reach mass production in 2025 and 2026, following increasing evidence of foldable devices in Apple’s supply chain. At the time, the analyst said Apple would likely release a large-screen foldable ‌iPad‌ or MacBook in that timeframe before launching a higher-volume foldable iPhone in late 2026.

Pu had claimed one Apple foldable with a 20.3-inch display would start production in late 2025, which was sooner than previously expected. However, Pu later said he believed Apple would join the foldable market in the second quarter of 2026 due to “display durability issues,” reflecting Apple’s intention to perfect a foldable design. It seems Apple is still in the prototyping stage of a foldable device. Would you be interested in such a product? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: Foldable MacBook, Ming-Chi Kuo

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