According to rumors, Apple will soon introduce an 18.8-inch foldable iPad with under-display Face ID.
For years, iFans have been waiting for Apple to release a device with a foldable display, such as a foldable iPhone similar to the Galaxy Z Fold or iPhone Flip.
Concept image of iPad Pro with folding screen.
However, there are many reports that Apple is researching an iPad or MacBook with a foldable screen.
According to a new rumor from Digital Chat Station on social network Weibo, "Apple" has produced a prototype "iPad Pro with a foldable screen" with some interesting features.
The source said that this prototype will have an 18.8-inch screen and a metal meta-lens. The screen will be integrated with Face ID Rx and Tx for 3D facial recognition.
18.8 inch screen
Last year, Apple's product roadmap revealed that the company would launch an 18.8-inch foldable "tablet/laptop/monitor" by 2028.
Rumors of a 20-inch foldable MacBook surfaced in 2022. At the time, analyst Ross Young claimed that the mysterious laptop wouldn’t launch until 2026 or 2027.
Concept photo of MacBook with folding screen.
Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman predicts that the foldable iPad will look like “two iPad Pros side by side.”
Everything points to Apple developing a hybrid product between an iPad and a MacBook. If the information from DCS is correct, the company is leaning more towards tablets than laptops.
Face ID and metalens
Before the iPhone 16 series was launched, there were many reports that Apple was looking to equip the iPhone Pro models with Metalens. Metalens is an ultra-thin flat lens that uses etching techniques to control light instead of a curved structure.
Using metalens could allow for a smaller camera sensor. In theory, Apple could replace the current triple lens setup it uses for Face ID with a thinner metalens lens.
Illustration photo.
This is a big deal, especially as Apple looks to make its devices thinner and thinner, and it could also be a way for Apple to create a foldable iPad or MacBook with more components or technology.
If the 2028 timeline is accurate, metalens FaceID will be on the iPhone 17 Pro models along with a smaller Dynamic Island area.
When will the foldable iPad and iPhone be released?
The foldable iPhone is not expected to appear until the foldable iPad/MacBook is released. Recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the foldable iPhone will be released in the fourth quarter of 2026. This is earlier than the expected foldable iPad launch.
