According to The Elec, this upcoming foldable MacBook will be the endpoint of a product roadmap that starts with standard laptops with OLED displays, and finishes with a device that has a 20.25-inch display when opened, which folds down to 15.3 inches when closed.
Folding up the future
It all started with the initial rumor that an OLED MacBook Air is coming in 2024, alongside OLED iPad Pro models. Samsung and LG are rumored to be producing this display tech, and making this change eliminates the need for additional backlighting and consolidates all the tech into a single layer — providing deeper contrast, more vivid color, and improved battery life. But one other benefit that went largely unnoticed (until this rumor appeared) is the flexibility of OLED panels. The technology has shown incredible promise in the Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED, so it’s surely only a matter of time until other companies dive in. The first of Apple’s foldables is allegedly going to be an iPad in 2025, which could replace the iPad Mini by giving you a 10-inch display in a smaller factor. And then, in 2026 or 2027, the foldable lineup could be well underway with this 20.25-inch folding MacBook. Now I know the obvious question here: what about a folding iPhone? According to the report, this doesn’t seem likely right now, as Apple is happy with the current form factor.
Outlook — take it with a pinch of salt
It is worth noting that rumors are exactly that: rumors. Track records on Apple product reports this far out are never perfect, but the more you think about it, the more this roadmap does make sense. Microsoft did ponder the idea of a device like this with the Surface Neo, but it was ultimately killed off. However, the foldable display tech has taken significant strides over the last couple of years with more manufacturers releasing shipping models rather than simply prototypes. So by 2026, it’s easy to see the tech reaching a state where Apple feels comfortable taking a crack (no pun intended) at it. Because macOS takes ever greater inspiration from iOS in its simpler, larger iconography and user interface. It’s begging to be touched, and this foldable could be the start of that.
