Apple’s planned foldable iPad with 18-inch screen hits development snags

[LOS ANGELES] Apple’s effort to reinvent the iPad by adding a giant foldable screen has hit development hurdles, potentially delaying the planned launch.

The company has been working on the device, projected to cost around US$3,000, for several years and had most recently aimed for a 2028 release. But engineering challenges tied to weight, features and display technology have pushed its potential debut to 2029 or later, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Apple is working with Samsung Display to develop the roughly 18-inch panel for the device, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the work is not public. The screen minimises the crease seen on foldable displays, matching an approach that Apple is also using with its upcoming foldable iPhone.

The iPad project is part of a broader push to bring more innovative devices to market. Apple just introduced its first new iPhone design in years, the ultrathin US$999 Air model, and is working on everything from smart glasses to a tabletop robot device.

Unlike the foldable iPhone, prototypes of the new tablet, internally code-named J312, do not include an external display. When closed, the device resembles a Mac laptop, with an aluminium enclosure on both sides. When opened, it’s about the size of a 13-inch laptop.

Developing the technology for an 18-inch foldable display has proven especially complex and costly, pushing estimated prices to roughly triple that of a 13-inch iPad Pro. Like that model, the foldable tablet would use the OLED standard. The technology, short for organic light-emitting diode, allows for more vibrant graphics and thinner displays.

Engineers are also concerned about the weight of current foldable iPad prototypes. While today’s iPad Pro ranges from about one pound (0.5 kg) to 1.3 pounds depending on size, test units of the foldable product weigh around 3.5 pounds. That’s roughly the same as a MacBook Pro.

A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment.

People involved in the project say the device is similar to Huawei Technologies’ MateBook Fold, an 18-inch foldable tablet introduced by the Chinese technology giant in May. That product weighs about a pound less than Apple’s current prototypes and sells for roughly US$3,400, though it’s only available in China.

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Apple is looking to reinvigorate the iPad lineup, which was first introduced by co-founder Steve Jobs fifteen years ago. Demand has slowed in recent years, with many shoppers gravitating to the Mac instead. Though iPad sales are set to grow again this year, revenue remains well below a record set in 2021.

Apple refreshed the iPad Pro last week with the M5 chip. There are other new iPads coming too, including updated Air and low-end models early next year. But both will just offer minor tweaks. The Air is set to gain the M4 processor, and the new base iPad is moving to the A18 chip, according to sources with knowledge of the plans.

The foldable iPad is meant to make a bigger splash. If successful, it would also show that Apple can compete in the growing market for foldable devices. Rivals such as Samsung Electronics, Alphabet’s Google, Lenovo Group’s Motorola and Huawei have already found that some consumers are willing to pay a premium for foldable devices that deliver larger screens in more portable designs.

Still, given the Apple tablet’s challenges, as well as its similarities to Huawei’s product, some people involved in the effort are unsure whether it will ever see the light of day.

Apple frequently spends years developing major initiatives and has shown a willingness to cancel projects it no longer views as strong business opportunities or worthwhile uses of its resources.

The most prominent example is the company’s autonomous car, a project that was shut down last year. Just weeks ago, Apple shelved a cheaper and lighter version of its Vision Pro headset, known internally as N100, after years of development, surprising staffers. BLOOMBERG