Apple developing foldable OLED panel for iPad, MacBooks

It would feature ultra-thin glass instead of polyimide.

What you need to know

There are more rumblings of foldable Apple display technology.
A new report says Apple is working to develop a foldable OLED panel.
It would be used in both iPads and MacBooks.

A new report says Apple is working with LG Display to design a foldable OLED tablet for both iPad and MacBook.

From The Elec:

Meanwhile, the company is also collaborating with Apple to develop another foldable OLED panel.

The panel is being designed for tablets and notebooks with ultra-thin glass as the cover window instead of polyimide.

The report doesn’t offer any further details about what size of device Apple might be working on, or any reference to a timeframe. However, this is not the first time we’ve heard of Apple working on potential foldable devices, both tablets and notebooks. From DSCC’s Ross Young:

On the other hand, we are now showing Apple in our roadmap for foldable notebooks. We hear there is interest at the largest size yet, around 20.x”. This size could create a new category for Apple and would result in a true dual-use product, a notebook with a full-size keyboard when folded and for use as a monitor when not folded and used with an external keyboard. It may also allow for UHD/4K resolution or even higher at that size. The time frame is likely later than 2025 though, it could be 2026 or 2027.

That puts any “foldable” iPad or MacBook some years away, so don’t expect a foldable to supplant Apple’s best iPad, the M1 iPad Pro (2021) or the MacBook Pro (2021) anytime soon.

iPad Pro (2021)

The 2021 iPad Pro features much-improved performance, faster 5G radios, a creative new front-facing camera, and on the larger 12.9-inch model, a seriously great display. It’s still the best tablet ever, but costs more than ever.

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