By Hartley Charlton
Apple's foldable iPad is rumored to be in “heavy development” and could be announced as early as late 2024, DigiTimes reports.
In a paywalled report citing supply chain sources, DigiTimes talks about how Apple is currently working with suppliers on a foldable iPad The development is ahead of small-scale production planned for the end of 2024. The Taiwanese publication believes this indicates that Apple could announce the device in late 2024 or early 2025 if progress remains steady.
Apple is apparently working on it. working on foldable products for four years and continually made design changes during this time, planning to release a foldable iPad before starting work on the foldable iPhone. Apple decided to focus on iPad because it accounts for a relatively small share of the company's sales, meaning potential problems are easier to deal with and less critical.
The company has reportedly not yet finalized the design of the foldable iPad. The project was initially led by Apple's product development team, but that role has now reportedly moved to the purchasing department to reduce costs. Apple's main goal at this stage is to achieve a more cost-effective design, causing controversial changes to the device.
The main issue is said to be the device's panel and hinges, with Apple particularly concerned about display creasing. The company is allegedly hoping that Samsung and LG will provide a display that mitigates the creasing effect through mechanical design solutions. Apple appears to be able to obtain sufficient supply of hinges for the device, but is still looking for a design that is more cost-effective and easier to mass produce, which may require further simplification and part reduction.
Expected: that mass production of Apple's first foldable device will begin in 2025. DigiTimes believes that the foldable design can improve the performance of the iPad shipments, boosting global tablet sales that would have otherwise been declining.
Tags: DigiTimes, Foldable iPad[ 262 comments ]
