Foldable iPad could replace iPad mini starting in 2026

AppleInsider

Apple is said to be working with suppliers and considering a 2026 timeframe for the release of a foldable iPad.

Apple's current iPad mini could be replaced by a folding version

Following years of rumors of an iPhone Fold, most recent rumors have shifted to predicting Apple will release a foldable iPad first. Several sources have said it may even come in 2024, though that particular detail is repeatedly contested.

Now The Elec claims to have information that Apple is looking to schedule a small, folding iPad for release sometime between 2026 or 2027.

Specifically, The Elec says that the foldable iPad would be either a 7-inch or an 8-inch model. The current iPad mini has an 8.3-inch screen, and the publication claims that this is the device the foldable iPad will replace.

Given the size, though, it surmises that this could instead be a foldable iPhone. The present iPhone 15 Pro has a 6.7-inch screen, but a folding version could keep the present chassis size and offer a larger display.

The Elec also notes, though, that Apple has reportedly been developing a flat OLED panel for the iPad mini. The publication concludes that this means Apple has yet to decide on when to release a foldable device.

Citing industry sources, The Elec says that both Samsung and LG are developing foldable display panels for Apple. It says, though, that Samsung is more active in the development.

Separately, The Elec claims that a 20-inch foldable device will definitely come later than the 7- or 8-inch model. It also reports that the iPhone will be redesigned in 2027, though it offers no details.

The Elec is a decent source of information from within Apple's supply chain, but it is less accurate in predictions it forms about what Apple will do. Friday's report is more of the latter.


Rumor Score: Possible

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vtvita

We enjoyed this iPad mini update from William Gallagher!

hmurchison

Not a fan of foldable.   Moving parts increase the odds of something breaking. 

anonymouse

"Replace" is a problematic word in this rumor. A foldable iPad would cost at least twice as much as an iPad Mini, and probably more. Sounds more like a new product with an entirely different target demographic, hardly a "replacement", which would imply a similar device targeted at the same customers. Maybe they are looking to EoL the Mini, but it isn't being "replaced" by this.

tht

The 20+ inch folding display product makes a lot more sense to me. It’s going to be expensive, but you are making something that is not portable, say 22” monitor, into something that can be transported in a backpack or by your arm. 

A folding iPad mini? Doesn’t make sense. It’s already quite portable, and you can buy it for about $500. 

Making that a folding form factor is going to double the price at minimum and the benefit is putting it into your pants pocket? OLED is nice and all, but a $1000 folding iPad mini doesn’t sound like a winning product. 

muthuk_vanalingam

tht said:

The 20+ inch folding display product makes a lot more sense to me. It’s going to be expensive, but you are making something that is not portable, say 22” monitor, into something that can be transported in a backpack or by your arm. 

A folding iPad mini? Doesn’t make sense. It’s already quite portable, and you can buy it for about $500. 

Making that a folding form factor is going to double the price at minimum and the benefit is putting it into your pants pocket? OLED is nice and all, but a $1000 folding iPad mini doesn’t sound like a winning product. 

Agreed. And it won't be $1000 foldable iPad mini. It would be $2000 foldable iPad mini in the initial year due to combination of component costs, relatively low volumes, recouping the R&D etc.