Foldable iPad tipped to drop in 2026 with the foldable iPhone

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Two folding Apple devices instead of one?

iPhone Flip concept
(Image credit: #iOS Beta News/YouTube/Tom's Guide)

The rumors that Apple will be releasing some kind of foldable device in 2026, with the new claim that a foldable iPad will be joining a hinged iPhone. 

Haitong Securities analyst Jeff Pu brings us the latest rumor via Apple Insider who says that display durability issues has delayed the development and release of a foldable iPhone or iPad.

Pu's leak does appear to confirm a similar rumor that popped up back in February which indicated that we wouldn't see a folding Apple device until 2026.

Apparently, Apple has been struggling with the crease in the display, which exists because of the folding. No company has really figured out a solution to the crease, though they have been decreased in recent years. 

With Apple's desire for aesthetics in their designs, we aren't surprised that a crease issue would be a sticking point for the company.

Another issue could be Apple's apparent mandate to make every new generation even thinner than the previous one. Next year's iPhone 17 has been tipped to be as thin as the recently released iPad Pro M4.

Previous rumors about a potential foldable iPad have suggested that Apple might replace the iPad Mini with a foldable iPad and an 8.3-inch display. Of course, my favorite rumor is that Apple is working on a giant 20-inch display mega-iPad or MacBook that folds. 

We've been hearing rumors about the iPhone Flip for almost ten years, since at least 2015. In fact, if the folding iPad or iPhone does come out in 2026 it will have been a decade since we started hearing rumblings about the alleged device.

The most current rumors suggest that Apple's version will be a clamshell similar to the recently released Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 or the Motorola Razr+. In the meantime, we've got a couple of years to wait.

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Scott Younker
Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.