While Ming-Chi Kuo reported on Monday that a foldable iPad with a built-in kickstand could launch in 2024, that may have been a bit optimistic. Since Kuo made this claim, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman and analyst Ross Young have both said they’ve heard nothing about such a device being in the pipeline for next year…
No folding iPad in 2024 after all, but…
Shortly after Kuo’s report yesterday, Gurman took to Twitter to reiterate what he expects from the iPad lineup through this year and next year. While 2023 will be a “light year” for the iPad lineup, Gurman says we can expect spec bumps for the entry-level iPad and iPad mini in 2024. Apple is also readying new iPad Pro models with OLED displays.
Gurman went on to say that he’s “not hearing anything about a foldable iPad in 2024,” a direct response to Kuo’s report from Monday.
Display Supply Chain Consultants analyst Ross Young has also since chimed in, saying that he also has heard “nothing about a foldable iPad for 2024.”
Interestingly, however, Young says that there is supply chain chatter about a 20.5-inch foldable notebook from Apple. This product could be ready for 2025, but more details are unknown at this point. Young says that the supply chain is referring to this as a “notebook,” but it’s unclear what software it will run.
9to5Mac’s Take
Kuo’s report that a foldable iPad would be released in 2024 seemed overly optimistic to me from the start. He said, however, that he was “positive about the foldable iPad in 2024,” which is a rare amount of confidence for an analyst to have regarding Apple.
It’s interesting to look at the sourcing of where Kuo’s information came from, though. The analyst repeatedly cited Anjie Technology, a supply chain company that would be Apple’s “supplier of the carbon fiber kickstand for the foldable iPad.” It’s unclear if Kuo had other sources corroborating the 2024 timeline, or if his claim was based solely on something he heard from inside Anjie Technology.
Regardless, I guess we’re further away from the launch of Apple’s first foldable device than we may have hoped (for the last 24 hours, anyway). Apple has been in no hurry to launch – taking its usual approach of letting other companies be first to market as the Cupertino company figures out how to do a better job.
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