Any iPad is foldable if you try hard enough but Apple guru says a hinged one is coming

When Apple soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo tweets, the tech world pays attention. This time he's predicting a folding iPad to hit the market next year, which means some accompanying bad news for those hoping to get a new Apple tablet in 2023. In a series of tweets yesterday, Kuo said his forecast of a folding iPad in 2024 comes with a …

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh dear

Quote "Anjie deals"

Now that the secret is out and it appears to be Anjie that was the source of the leak, what are the odds that Apple drops them as a supplier as fast as they can?

Ming 'throw it all against the wall and report on what sticks' Kuo really needs to protect his sources a lot better.

[Dante Alighieri]

But will it..

..blend!

[William K Kelley]

OLED iPad?

I have NO use for a foldable iPad, but an OLED iPad (Mini) would be GREAT! As a pilot, the single biggest problem with an iPad has always been the interaction between the iPad LCD screen (and other avionics with LCD screens) and polarized sunglasses. The choice has been to give up the polarized sunglasses so you can read the iPad and put up with the glare or cut the glare and not be able to read the iPad. Now if only Garmin would change to use to OLEDs...

[Ace2]

Re: OLED iPad?

Is it true that OLED screens work with polarized glasses? I have that problem with my phone all the time.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: OLED iPad?

Yes, because you are in principle looking at indivual LED pixels that light up. An LCD display works by selectively allowing light through from a lit backplane by changing polarisation - as that depends on a polaristaion filter in the first place you will always end up with polirised light as output which in the early days of LCDs led to black diaplys when you were wearing polarised sunglasses. I'm not sure how that was addressed, I presume by applying the polarisation filters diagonally (as orientation makes no difference as long as top and bottom sheet are in the right orientation.

Turn your phone 90º (i.e. landscape to portrait or the reverse and try again, you may see a lot more :) ).

[stiine]

So do Samsung Galaxy Tab devices

I've done it three times... They don't fold easily, or fold very well, but they do fold...

[DS999]

A folding iPhone risky because it "would cannibalize existing iPhone sales"???

Why would Apple care, if they sell fewer regular iPhones and more folding iPhones so they sell the same number that's just as good. The fact a folding iPhone would undoubtedly cost more so even if the margins are the same the profit per phone would be higher. That part would be a win/win.

The risk is that it develops problems over time like a visible seam where it folds or some type of mechanical failure. Plus there's the risk that if it is a niche product like folding phones currently are it may not be worth their trouble to design & sell it. They quit making the iPhone "mini" because it wasn't selling enough despite it selling quite a few more units than all the folding phones from all the Android OEMs combined. If they ever start making a folding iPhone they want to be sure it sticks around or they will piss off customers if they discontinue it after a couple years.

I don't really have much desire for a folding phone, but that seems much more useful than a folding tablet. At least a folding phone allows a bigger screen that what would fit in your pocket otherwise. I don't really see a reason why I should want a tablet to fold to a smaller size, but I guess the draw is that at a 90* fold its form factor is basically that of a laptop and can sit on its own (but then why the mention of the stand in other articles...maybe I'm not understanding what the target market is for this)

[Chet Mannly]

Re: A folding iPhone risky because it "would cannibalize existing iPhone sales"???

I have a Z Fold3, it's an almost ipad mini sized tablet you can fold and put in your pocket - which is a very, very useful form factor.

Agree a folding larger iPad seems less useful.

[Dave 126]

Re: A folding iPhone risky because it "would cannibalize existing iPhone sales"???

You find an iPad Mini sized device that folds to fit into a trouser pocket useful. I can see that. I wouldn't want to read a book on a small phone screen, but it might be alright on an iPad Mini.

Similarly, there are tasks where an iPad mini screen would be too cramped to use for any length of time and one benefit greatly from a laptop-sized screen.

We have analogies that have stood the test of time: paper diaries. The have long been available in trouser pocket size, jacket pocket size, and live-on-the-desk size.

[Anonymous Coward]

Meh

Should I care ???

:)

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Hang on...

You're Holding[Folding] it Wrong!

[Anonymous Coward]

What the &^%$ for ?!?

Now what is the point of a foldable device with all the mechanical issues and weaknesses that come with it? That's a problem looking for a problem to solve.

IMHO that would be a spectacular waste of engineering effort.

[Dave 126]

Re: What the &^%$ for ?!?

If lots of people have a use for a full size iPad - and sales suggest they do - then some of them may have a use for a full size iPad that folds to fit into a jacket pocket.

Big iPad function with iPad Mini convenience. A full size iPad that doesn't necessitate a rucksack or satchel to carry around. A full size iPad that can fit in a normal-sized handbag.

[newspuppy]

Folding devices are trivial to make......

It is the ability to UNFOLD them and have them be USEFUL that is not trivial.. and quite tricky...