Shop E Store bloomberg This weekend, it was reported that Apple has created a prototype of a foldable iPad and plans to release it in 2028. The device is said to have a nearly 20-inch screen when opened.
This report is interesting because it describes a product that may seem almost as niche as the Vision Pro, but maybe Apple will launch it for similar reasons…
Foldable iPads are a niche product
Mark Garman described the device as a “giant iPad.”
Apple designers are developing something that looks like a giant iPad, which when unfolded is the size of two iPad Pros side by side. I’ve heard that the Cupertino, California-based company has been honing the product for several years and is aiming to bring something to market around 2028.
He suggests the cost will be well over $2,000, but I think that may be a conservative estimate.
My colleague Ryan Christoffel, who actually replaced his MacBook with an iPad, thinks this could just be the product of his dreams. I have no doubt that this device will find other fans as well, but with a fairly specialized appeal and a high price tag, this device is nothing more than a niche product, closer to the Vision Pro than the rest of Apple’s product line. there is no. -above.
But this is likely to be a testbed for future MacBooks
But the Vision Pro demonstrated that Apple isn’t afraid to launch niche products if they’re a stepping stone on the way to something more mainstream. CEO Tim Cook has been outspoken about this recently.
“At $3,500, it’s not a mass market product,” Cook said. “At this point, this is an early adopter product.”
Vision Pro is intended to lead the way to more affordable headsets and, eventually, Apple Glasses.
Similarly, the foldable iPad seems to lead the way to a product Apple has been eyeing for years: the MacBook with a soft keyboard. The Touch Bar was a first move in this direction, although it wasn’t a success.
Bringing iPhone-like flexibility to your MacBook
When Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone in 2007, a key part of his pitch was that every smartphone in existence at the time had a physical keyboard. He argued that this is great if you want a standard keyboard, but otherwise it’s a waste of space.
Also, physical keyboards limit you to a single layout, so they aren’t suitable for all apps. Sometimes you need a US QWERTY keyboard, sometimes you need a foreign keyboard, sometimes you need a numeric keypad, sometimes you need a completely different keyboard.
There have been many attempts at dynamic keyboards for laptops and desktops. The main approach to date has been physical keyboards with dynamically assignable LCD, LED, or e-ink keycaps.
The earliest commercially available one was that of e3 Keys, and today the same approach is used for control panels. Sonder has promised something similar for e-ink keycaps, and was reportedly in talks with Apple at one point.
By default it has a QWERTY keyboard, but if you’re using Final Cut Pro, for example, the idea is that all the keys are translated into a graphical representation of the editing tool.
Unfortunately, the Sonder keyboard never actually materialized, even though the company had orders for it.
But a series of Apple patents suggests the company wants to go further and develop a complete soft keyboard, a second display that can be configured as a keyboard.
Three problems and solutions suggested by Apple
The idea of a MacBook with a soft keyboard is enough to give any Mac fan nightmares. There are three major problems with this idea.
- Glass keyboards hurt your fingers.
- No feedback when pressing virtual keys
- I can’t touch type because my fingers can’t find the virtual keys.
For all these reasons, they are not suitable for anything more than occasional writing.
However, Apple’s patents describe potential solutions to each of these problems.
- Flexible and deformable keyboard for comfortable typing
- Haptic feedback that simulates real key movements
- Electrostatic charge that allows you to feel the edges of virtual keys
I don’t know if any of these will happen anytime soon, but I have to say that Apple has a proven track record of solving at least one of these problems. MacBook trackpads have been solid-state for years, and the haptic “click” feedback feels very convincing to me. So I think the company will get there eventually.
Apple has a form for using the iPad as a test bed
Apple has introduced new technology to the iPad many times before the Mac.
OLED screens are one example, but some might argue that it’s just a matter of size. OLED screens began as an expensive technology that Apple first used in its smallest screen device, the Apple Watch, and then in the iPhone and iPad ahead of its adoption in the future MacBook.
Face ID is an example that was first introduced to the iPhone and then the iPad, but not yet to the Mac.
The Center Stage camera feature arrived on the iPad in 2021, but only arrived on the Mac this year on the latest M4 MacBook Pro.
Cellular iPads have been around forever, but the earliest of us… maybe For Mac, it’s 2026.
I sometimes see this in software too. While iPadOS may lag behind macOS in most ways, there are instances where new features were released on the iPad before the Mac. Examples include the Books and Shortcuts app, the full-featured Messages app, and most recently, Genmoji.
4 reasons to choose iPad first
So my suspicion is that this is Apple’s plan, and here are four reasons why you should try the iPad first.
First, and most obviously, the iPad is already an all-touch device. Sure, there are some people who use the Magic Keyboard almost permanently, but they’re also a niche market. For most iPad owners, the iPad is a touch-based device, so there’s nothing wrong with keeping it that way.
Second, technology. Apple’s three solutions to making the soft keyboard at least less terrible took time to develop, and will likely still be years away.
Third, controversy. Even if Apple solves the three problems, it will be difficult to launch a MacBook without a physical keyboard. in large quantities A controversial move! Also as an option in the lineup. Switching ports on the iPhone or eliminating the headphone socket would seem like a mild ripple in Apple’s PR pond. All-screen MacBooks will be a tsunami.
Fourth, I’m looking for a way to express this that won’t upset people who use the iPad as their primary device, but the iPad doesn’t come with too many risks. The iPhone may be Apple’s most profitable device to date, but Macs are still considered the most serious and professional product category. A failure to launch the iPad would have less impact than doing the same thing on the Mac.
what is your view?
So, in my opinion, a foldable iPad will be an expensive niche product that will be more similar to the Vision Pro than anything else. But Apple is using this product as a stepping stone to a more dramatic move: an all-screen MacBook. what about you?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Image: Michael Bower/9to5Mac
(Tag Translation)Mac
