Here are 6 things iFans need to know about Apple's plans to release a foldable MacBook.
Rumors from multiple reliable sources suggest that Apple is working on a foldable MacBook .
In fact, it could be Apple’s first foldable device, launching before the foldable iPhone.
Here are six features that could come with a foldable MacBook, according to MacRumors.
1. New design
The foldable MacBook's all-screen design will be different from the current MacBook.
It will have a single large screen that can be folded in half.
Concept photo of MacBook with folding screen.
Concept photo of MacBook with folding screen.
When opened, the MacBook can be used as a display when combined with a keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, and when folded, it can function as a laptop.
This design will not have a separate keyboard, but instead uses a virtual keyboard with digital keys and haptic feedback to create the feel of keys.
2. Expected size
Display research analyst Ross Young claims that the foldable MacBook will have an 18.8-inch display, with Apple limiting the maximum wrinkles when opened.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said that "Apple" is planning a screen of about 19 inches.
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3. Screen technology
Apple is rumored to be working with LG Display to develop foldable OLED displays, and LG has also been developing ultra-thin foldable glass for the past few years.
Apple has also been experimenting with electronic paper display (EPD) technology, which could be used in future foldable devices.
EPD could be used on the outer display of a foldable device, which could be applicable if Apple adopts some kind of dual-screen design with a display that folds on both the outside and inside.
EPD is a form of electronic ink technology, which is much easier to see than LED or OLED displays in bright light.
At 18.8 inches, the foldable MacBook will have a 5K resolution or higher.
4. M series chip
Mass production of foldable displays for future MacBooks could begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, allowing the company to launch them in late 2025 or early 2026.
This is also when the future M5 chip, the successor to the M4, will be produced in 2024.
Concept photo of MacBook with folding screen.
Concept photo of MacBook with folding screen.
The chip is expected to be manufactured on the next-generation 3-nanometer process or even the 2-nanometer process. TSMC is working on a 2nm chip and it should be ready around the second half of 2025.
TSMC's 3nm and 2nm chips will allow for more transistors to be packed into the processor, which typically results in faster performance and better energy efficiency. Currently, Apple's M4 chip is made on a 3-nanometer process, just like the M3 chip.
5. Expected selling price
Apple will need to use expensive components for the foldable MacBook, and Mr. Kuo believes that this "super product" could be nearly as expensive as the $3,500 Vision Pro glasses when they launch.
6. Release date
If the rumors are correct and Apple allows LG Display to start mass production of the foldable MacBook in the fourth quarter of 2025, the device could launch as early as 2025 or 2026. Mr. Kuo estimates that "Apple" will ship more than one million units in 2026.
Apple analyst Ross Young believes that a foldable MacBook could launch as early as 2025, the same timeline suggested by analyst Jeff Pu.
