Apple’s Next Big Move: Foldable MacBook Instead of iPhone

Apple seems to have finally started to make moves after witnessing the success of various Android manufacturers launching foldable screen smartphones. The first foldable device from Apple is reportedly in development. However, Apple seems to be taking a different approach. Multiple reports now suggest that Apple’s first foldable device might actually be a laptop and not an iPhone.

Since the end of last year, there has been a gradual increase in rumors about Apple’s foldable products. Recently, Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst with a high accuracy rate in predicting Apple products, revealed once again that Apple is expected to develop a 20.3-inch foldable screen MacBook, set to be launched within the next three years.

To everyone’s surprise, the long-awaited foldable iPhone for Apple fans might actually turn out to be a bendable MacBook. It is safe to say that Apple always manages to keep us guessing.

Fortunately, Apple does not seem to be abandoning their plans for the iPhone. In other words, there will still be a foldable iPhone, just at a later time.

This means that the first device we are likely to see will most probably be the foldable screen MacBook. According to the leaked information, Apple seems to be planning something big with their new product. Rumor has it that Apple is about to introduce its largest-ever laptop in terms of screen size.

In recent comments, Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned that he has been asked multiple times whether Apple plans to mass-produce foldable screen iPhones or iPads in 2025 or 2026.

Based on his investigations, the only foldable product that Apple currently has a clear development schedule for is a MacBook with approximately a 20.3-inch display, expected to be mass-produced by 2027.

Rumors about a foldable screen MacBook have been minimal before this. In other words, most people would have assumed that Apple would only do something like this for the iPhone.

However, Ming-Chi Kuo is actually the third source to mention the possibility of a foldable MacBook. Earlier, CEO Ross Young of DSCC and South Korean media The Elec also hinted at this possibility, indicating that the arrival of the foldable MacBook is not just a baseless rumor.

The product size is a point of difference among analysts. Ross Young estimates it to be 20.5 inches, while Ming-Chi Kuo mentions 20.3 inches. Currently, Apple’s largest laptop for sale is the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Of course, Apple has previously released a 17-inch MacBook Pro, but it was discontinued in 2012.

Therefore, whether it’s 20.3 inches or 20.5 inches, once Apple releases a MacBook with a screen size exceeding 20 inches, it will be their largest laptop in terms of screen size.

As for other details about the product, there is no clear information yet. However, in January of this year, Ming-Chi Kuo did mention that Apple would release a MacBook with an OLED screen or possibly a foldable screen version.

Existing MacBook models all feature LCD or mini-LED screens. Compared to these, the application of a new OLED screen can result in a thinner and lighter body, with self-luminous pixels that eliminate the need for backlighting and offer more diverse design options, such as a foldable screen laptop.

For many users, however, innovative changes in MacBook design may not be as practical as functional upgrades. For example, in the recent upgraded MacBook Air, though the chip has been upgraded to M3, making it the most powerful Air notebook in Apple’s history, the starting RAM is still stuck at 8GB, leading many users to complain about “memory being more expensive than gold.” So, has Apple listened to everyone’s feedback?

Nevertheless, the arrival of the foldable screen MacBook has left many Apple fans quite excited. # Apple’s Foray into Foldable Devices

Apple is currently focusing on developing foldable screen smartphones, leading the charge in a new direction in the market. This innovative approach serves as a strategic move to seize the initiative in the industry.

The timing of the launch of the foldable screen MacBook is crucial for Apple. While Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the product to be released within three years, some other foreign media sources suggest that Apple’s debut of the first foldable product may take at least five years. In any case, Apple won’t rush the release of new products.

Seeing the current fervor in the Android foldable screen market, it seems Apple is not keen on getting caught up in the competition with Android manufacturers. If Apple indeed creates a foldable screen MacBook, what kind of design do you think Apple will come up with?

In addition to the foldable MacBook, there have been recent rumors that Apple plans to launch its first foldable screen iPhone.

Some Apple executives have publicly stated that due to the delayed release compared to their competitors, they aim to incorporate more advanced technologies into their products. They also mentioned that the foldable screen iPhone is expected to be thinner and lighter than models from their competitors. One of Apple’s goals is to address the crease issue that competitors are currently tackling.

Regarding the foldable iPhone, Ming-Chi Kuo has not provided a predicted release date. However, various sources indicate that the product may be delayed until 2026, even later than the arrival of the foldable screen MacBook.

Starting from this year, rumors about the foldable iPhone have been gaining momentum. Going back to February of this year, there were reports from foreign media that a “reliable” source claimed Apple was developing “at least two” prototypes of horizontally foldable iPhones, resembling flip phones.

Additionally, insiders at that time leaked that the foldable iPhone was still in the early stages of development and was not included in Apple’s mass production plan before 2025, so it’s not to be expected to hit the market soon.

Furthermore, it was mentioned that Apple had been in touch with at least one manufacturer in Asia to seek components related to foldable iPhones of two different sizes.

Concerning product weight, Apple’s industrial design team aims for the device to be half the thickness of the current iPhone model. They even experimented with a design layout where the screen faces outward when the phone is closed. However, due to the practical application of components such as batteries and display screens, achieving the goal of an extremely thin and light product is technically challenging.

Considering the latest product, the iPhone 15, has a body thickness of 7.8mm, aspiring to be “half as thin as an iPhone” indeed poses a significant challenge for Apple. Notably, Huawei’s foldable Mate X5, with a thickness of only 11.08mm when folded and a much thinner 5.3mm when unfolded, is currently one of the lightest and thinnest large-screen foldable phones on the market that fold inward.

At present, it seems that Apple has innovative ideas, but the execution proves to be quite challenging.

Perhaps due to the rigorous demands on new products, Apple has lagged in the field of foldable screens.

However, it cannot be denied that Apple has long been researching in this area. In fact, Apple began exploring the concept of a foldable iPhone as early as 2018, paused the project around 2020 but then reintroduced plans for a foldable iPhone around 2022. Some creative Apple “patents” have also surfaced.

One of the most discussed is Apple’s patent application for electronic devices with flexible display screens. The description mentions a device with multiple parts where the casing parts can be connected via hinges. This patent mainly focuses on hinges, indicating Apple’s renewed focus on developing its foldable iPhone.

Apart from this, Apple has applied for other patents related to foldable screen phones, including one for “self-healing of foldable screens.” This involves overlaying a protective film on the screen, utilizing a self-healing material that can repair fold marks that occur when the phone is folded, as well as repairing scratches on the screen.

For foldable screen phones, this technology is a definite game-changer.

Over the past few years, Apple has filed numerous patents related to foldable products, covering aspects like hinges and exterior design. While these patents do not guarantee Apple will implement them, they do indicate the direction Apple is considering for foldable screen smartphones.

In essence, if Apple eventually launches a foldable iPhone, it would mark one of the most significant hardware design changes in iPhone history.

Looking back from 2018 to the present, Apple has been exploring the path of foldable screen devices for over 5 years but has yet to release a foldable phone.

It can be said that Apple rose early but arrived late. This development pace has put Apple noticeably behind the foldable screen smartphones powered by Android.

It is well known that since the advent of foldable screen smartphones, this segment of the smartphone market has seen rapid growth, standing out as the only one with an upward trend in the previously sluggish smartphone market. Various Android manufacturers are focusing on creating their own foldable screen products, as developing foldable smartphones has become a crucial strategy for Android manufacturers to differentiate themselves from Apple and narrow the gap in the high-end market.

Particularly in 2023, foldable screen smartphones reached full maturity. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report, in the second quarter of 2023, the shipment volume of foldable screen smartphones in China was approximately 1.26 million units, a year-on-year increase of 173.0%; in the first half of the year, shipments reached 2.27 million units, a year-on-year increase of 102.0%. This clearly indicates the enormous potential of the foldable smartphone market, particularly at a time when the conventional flat-screen smartphone market is showing signs of stagnation.

In the short term, although Apple has not yet launched a foldable screen device, it is inevitable that Apple will introduce a foldable screen smartphone in the long run; it’s just a matter of time. If coupled with the release of a foldable screen MacBook, Apple would once again establish a significant lead in the smartphone market.

This explains why the launch of the foldable screen MacBook is expected to precede the launch of the foldable screen iPhone. Of course, this would require Apple to maintain a lasting competitive advantage in this fiercely competitive field by providing powerful product features and adopting reasonable pricing strategies.