

Quick summary
A alternative report says that Apple's giant folding device isn't a MacBook, as previously suggested.
It claims that it's an iPad instead – although it may be capable of running Mac apps too. Just don't expect it before 2028.
It's been a fascinating couple of days for news about Apple's foldable devices – two separate reports in big-name publications have cast light on Apple's plans for the next few years.
As we reported earlier, the Wall Street Journal has described a folding iPhone that's bigger than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and also revealed that Apple is working on a large folding laptop. Now, a second report, from Bloomberg, says that Apple is working on a folding iPad.
Previous rumours had predicted an iPad Fold for launch in 2026, but the latest say it's taken longer than Apple expected – the launch is now expected to happen in 2028.
It seems that there's some overlap between the two most recent suggestions. The folding iPad described by Bloomberg sounds similar to the folding laptop described by the WSJ. But, while the WSJ claims that the device as a MacBook, Bloomberg disagrees.
Is Apple making a folding iPad?
We've heard rumours of a folding iPad for several years now, and according to Bloomberg, that's where Apple is setting its sights: "Apple knows that customers – gamers, software developers or just people watching movies – want the biggest screen possible. And the only way to sensibly ship a mobile product with a large display (one approaching 20 inches or so) is to make it foldable," it writes.
We've seen plenty of devices like this already from the likes of Microsoft and Lenovo. But, Apple is apparently thinking different, with an 18.8-inch display that doesn't have a visible crease and doesn't appear to be two separate panels. It will look like a single, uninterrupted sheet of glass, it is alleged.
The next bit is a prediction rather than a leak, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says he expects the device to run iPadOS – with an important difference.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
By the time this device launches, which Gurman suggests will be in 2028, he believes that iPadOS will be advanced enough to run macOS apps. He also argues that the new device will be sold as an iPad alternative rather than a MacBook Pro alternative.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Apple's future iPhone plans could borrow something from Samsung's past
A massive design change for could be coming for the 20th anniversary iPhone
-
Apple TV 4K just got a free update to improve Dolby Atmos playback
Apple's tvOS 18.5 update brings with it a neat new feature
-
Apple Maps gets a free update with a hidden treat for F1 fans
Get ready for the movie and Monaco
-
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses under threat from an old rival – have two years to prepare for battle
Will they be as stylish though?
-
I tried Apple’s fastest Mac and it blew my mind
How much faster really is the Mac Studio M3 Ultra?
-
I must admit, if the iPhone 17 Air is this thin I'd never stop worrying
Newly leaked images show an iPhone that's so slim I'd be concerned about breaking it
-
Apple's new content curation service is about as Apple as it gets
The new Snapshot section is very pretty, but it's also missing something pretty important
-
Samsung's flagship phones will reportedly maintain one key advantage over iPhone
Apple is said to be struggling to match Samsung in a specific tech area