Apple could release a foldable iPad in 2027: Report

Apple hasn’t entered the foldable market yet, and some competitors are on their fifth-generation foldable phones. We don’t know if Apple is interested in open-book or Flip-style foldable phones, but most signs point to the former.

According to a new post from Revegnus on X, Apple might enter the foldable market with a foldable iPad Mini and not a foldable smartphone. We don’t know how Apple will manage the pricing since the iPad Mini is a relatively affordable 499$ tablet that has its niche. If Apple turns the iPad Mini into a foldable device, it will cost much more.

However, it makes sense for Apple to first experiment with the iPad lineup, not iPhones. If it doesn’t meet sales expectations or the product has faulty QC or poor reception, they can easily sweep it under the rug with an iPad. iPhones are Apple’s cash cow- their steady source of the most income for the company. It doesn’t make business sense to risk that on an experimental product. If the foldable iPad Mini is successful in sales and public adoption, they might consider bringing a foldable iPhone later.

The leak mentions that Apple is looking to mass-produce flexible OLED panels for their foldable product in 2026. If the panels enter mass production in 2026, we can estimate that Apple will launch the product a year later in 2027. Several sources apparently agree that Apple will launch this product in 2027 and not 2026. Some argue that Apple could move this one year earlier, but the conflicting reports make it difficult to make a conclusive analysis.

Apple is also planning to launch OLED iPad Pros with the M3 this year and a potential iPad Ultra with a MacBook Pro level of performance. The next few years for the iPad lineup look very exciting.

While Apple hasn’t been bothered with the foldable phone market until now, they have to consider experimenting with other form factors soon. According to some sources, Apple’s Q1 earnings were apparently below Wall Street’s projections. The revenue for the iPhones was lower than expected. Apple now has no choice but to try experimental products to get people’s attention.

In key markets like China, Huawei is taking over with explosive growth and excellent innovation despite the USA sanctions. They can soon make their own 5nm chips with older DUV machines. Huawei is also managing the cameras fine. The next iteration of HarmonyOS will not even use AOSP as a code base- so they won’t run Android either. With Huawei performing so well, the excitement for Apple is slowing down in China. China is a key market for the company, with them sometimes selling more in China than in the USA.

There is a slowdown in sales in China and a drop in revenue. As a result, Apple will probably work on some new experimental products in the future. 2027 is a good estimate for the launch of these products.

In 2027, it’s the 20th anniversary of the very first iPhone. It’s also the 10th anniversary of the revolutionary OLED iPhone X with a new design. It’s an important year for Apple. Apple makes major changes in the tenth year. We can expect this year’s Apple Watches to have a major upgrade or overhaul. Some sources say the foldable device will come out in 2027 as well. However, the reliability of this information is unverified.