More smoke around Apple’s foldable: The manufacturer is currently considering display panels in sizes of 20.25 inches and 18.8 inches, according to information from the supply chain and market observers. According to information from an analyst, the first suppliers are preparing for mass production of the panel to start as early as the end of 2025 and for a corresponding product to come onto the market sooner than previously expected.
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Foldable folded up a 13″ laptop
The display is intended for a foldable MacBook with an M5 chip, predicted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has had deep insight into Apple’s hardware plans several times in the past. The manufacturer is aiming for a panel that is as “wrinkle-free as possible” and is working specifically with individual suppliers to achieve this – not only for the panel but also for the folding mechanism. When folded, the 18.8″ panel enables the classic design of a 13″ to 14″ laptop.
The material costs are therefore likely to be correspondingly high. The analyst speculatesthat the initial production of such a foldable will cost Apple a similar amount as the production of a Vision Pro, which sells for a price starting at 3,500 US dollars.
There have been rumors about a foldable device from Apple for years – from iPhone to iPad to MacBook. The only thing that is clear so far, for example through patent applications, is that the company has been working on the concept for a long time. The much bigger questions regarding suitability for everyday use, the operating system and the lack of a hardware keyboard remain unanswered.
MacBook Pro 2025 with OLED and touchscreen?
Observers expect that Apple will launch classic MacBooks with OLED screens in the fall of 2025 – and for the first time with a touch display. However, macOS would first have to be adapted for this; so far Apple has made a relatively clear distinction between macOS, which was not fundamentally designed for touch, and iPadOS – although iPhone and iPad apps have long been able to run on Macs. With the introduction of the latest iPad Pro series, a debate has flared up again about whether iPadOS is still far too limited as an operating system for such powerful hardware.
(lbe)