Apple is exploring a massive foldable iPad, but this could be one of those projects that looks better on a roadmap than in a retail box.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a roughly 20-inch foldable iPad, a project that has reportedly been a priority for incoming CEO John Ternus. While it sounds like one of the company’s most ambitious hardware bets in years on paper, it may never really hit the store shelves.
Why a foldable iPad is a bold idea that may not survive
The recent rumor mill is all about the upcoming foldable iPhone, which reportedly adopts a wide form factor, similar to Huawei’s Pura X Max. Now, people familiar with the project have told Bloomberg that the foldable iPad could end up as a “wacky experiment” that doesn’t ship as a commercial product. The concept feels pretty straightforward. A large foldable display that expands into tablet size blends portability with screen real estate.
This fits neatly into Apple’s broader push toward new product categories, especially as Ternus prepares to take over from Tim Cook later this year. But ambitious hardware doesn’t always translate into viable products.
How Surface Neo is the obvious comparison
If such a product sounds familiar, it’s because Microsoft previously built something similar with Surface Neo. The company was promising the Surface Neo as a new kind of dual-screen computing experience—but this model never saw a commercial release. Foldable phones have matured over the past few years. The issue now is to make the idea scalable into a large tablet form factor, which brings a different set of challenges, like durability, software optimization, and cost.
The foldable iPad is just one piece of a much larger pipeline. Apple reportedly has plans for new products across 10 different categories, including smart home devices, AI-powered wearables, and smart glasses. But for now, the focus is on the more immediate iPhone Fold, which could debut shortly after Ternus officially takes over as CEO on September 1.