The first foldable iPad won't be arriving in 2024 claims Bloomberg reporter and Apple leaker Mark Gurman . That contradicts a previous report (citing Ming-Chi Kuo) which said 2024 would indeed be the year that Apple introduced a folding tablet.
Gurman says we'll still see some upgrades, like OLED displays on the iPad Pro, and "spec bumps" (presumably new chipsets and little else) for the base iPad 10.9-inch and iPad mini. But he says he's heard nothing about a folding iPad, and makes no mention of the carbon fiber kickstand that the foldable will apparently use either.
The additions in the iPad lineup will be the redesigned OLED iPad Pros in 2024 + entry level and Mini spec bumps. As I wrote before, 2023 will be a light year for the iPad (and Watch). Also not hearing anything about a foldable iPad in 2024. https://t.co/WsByewy7hm https://t.co/e33aCHuocBJanuary 30, 2023
Both Gurman and Kuo have proven reliable in the past at predicting Apple's next moves. We're not sure what to make of the clash, and who's correct (or at least more correct) when it comes to iPad news. Without other sources for the time being, we're just going to have to wait to see if either withdraw or alter their claims in the future.
Foldable devices in general haven't hit the mainstream, with foldable phones being the closest to being a genuine competitor to their existing non-folding counterparts. We've not seen many folding tablets yet, rare examples like the Thinkpad X1 Fold and alleged works-in-progress like Samsung's rumored folding Galaxy Tab aside, so a folding iPad would be a big deal.
The best iPads already have no trouble dominating the tablet space overall, so in some ways, it would surprise us to see Apple rushing to innovate when it has no pressing need to. However, we've heard before that we'd see a foldable iPad before a folding iPhone or flexible, all-screen MacBook, so perhaps it won't be that long after all until we see this rumored device, even if it's not in 2024.
For the time being, we'll keep our foldable iPad rumor round-up up-to-date so whenever there are more leaks or rumors, everything you need to know is right there.
