Apple’s First Foldable is Allegedly a 20.3″ MacBook, Not an iPhone

The foldable form factor has seen rampant growth in the few years since it became public. However, the largest smartphone manufacturer, Apple, has avoided making phones with larger displays that would essentially fold.

Backstory

This year, Apple’s largest competitor, Samsung, the Korean tech giant, is moving into the sixth generation of its foldable device lineup. Apple is nowhere to be seen. Even the rumors that surfaced online earlier pointed to the company opting for a foldable iPad rather than an iPhone.

For that part of the story, leaks pointed to a 2026 release date. However, with new, more believable information, it looks like the world’s largest phone company will be stepping into the foldable category, but not for any of its phones or tablets.

Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo Says Apple is Planning a Foldable MacBook

On Thursday, Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo revealed in a rather short tweet that only one of Apple’s foldable products has a clear release schedule: the MacBook, specifically a 20.3-inch model.

“Recently, I’ve received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the foldable iPhone or iPad in 2025 or 2026. My latest survey indicates that currently, Apple’s only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027,”

That is not to say that Apple won’t be looking toward the smartphone segment, too. There are two derivations that one can make from this tweet, that are important to understand. One, Kuo only mentions that the foldable MacBook has a clear development schedule. He doesn’t state that the iPad or iPhone won’t be getting their fold models.

Secondly, Apple hasn’t and probably won’t comment on the matter, so since there is no official confirmation, especially with news targeted three years from now, it is too early to jump to conclusions right now.

“MacBook Fold” Will Technically NOT be the First for Its Kind

If you’re wondering why Apple is stepping into the laptop category just because it’s something new, well, you would be wrong, in a way. At this point, a lot of Windows laptops feature dual screens, the concept of which is partially similar to that of a Fold. While they don’t physically fold in half, the underlying idea is similar, and some companies have executed this concept quite well.

This year alone, we’ve seen a range of options like the Zephyrus Duo and ZenBook Duo series. This highlights that the MacBook Fold, if it comes to fruition, wouldn’t be the first of its kind.

This is all we know for now, but rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.