Bloomberg It was reported that Apple created a prototype for a foldable iPad this weekend, and is scheduled to be released in 2028. It is said that when the device opens, it will have a screen that is close to 20 inches in size.
This report is interesting as it describes a product that may seem almost as niche as Vision Pro, but maybe Apple will launch it for the same reason…
Foldable iPad is a niche product
Mark Garman described the device as a “gigantic iPad.”
Apple’s designers are developing something like a huge iPad that will be deployed to look like two iPad Pros side by side. The Cupertino, California-based company has been honing the product for several years and has heard it aims to bring something to the market around 2028.
He suggests the cost will be well over $2,000, but I think it could be a conservative estimate.
My colleague Ryan Christoffel, who actually replaced his MacBook with an iPad, thinks this could be a dream product. There’s no doubt that this device will find other fans as well, but with a rather professional appeal and high price, the device is nothing more than a niche product that’s closer to the Vision Pro than the rest of the Apple product lineup.
However, this is likely to become a testbed for future MacBooks
However, Vision Pro has demonstrated that it is not afraid to launch a niche product if Apple is a springboard on the path to something more mainstream. CEO Tim Cook has been openly speaking about this recently.
“At the price of $3,500, it’s not a mass-oriented product,” Cook said. “At this is an early adapter product at the moment.”
Vision Pro is intended to guide you on the path to a more affordable headset and, ultimately, Apple Glasses.
Similarly, the folding iPad appears to guide the path to a product Apple has been paying attention to for years: a MacBook with a soft keyboard. Touch Bar was not a success, but it was the first move in this direction.
Bringing iPhone-like flexibility to your MacBook
When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone in 2007, a key part of his pitch was that every smartphone that existed at the time had physical keyboards. This is great if you want a standard keyboard, but if you don’t, it’s a waste of space, he argued.
Also, physical keyboards are limited to a single layout, so it’s not suitable for all apps. You might need a US QWERTY keyboard, you might need a foreign keyboard, you might need a numeric keypad, or you might need a completely different keyboard.
There have been many attempts to do with dynamic keyboards for laptops and desktops. The main approach up until now has been a physical keyboard with dynamically assigned LCD, LED, or e-ink keycaps.
The earliest commercially available ones were from e3 Keys, and the same approach is now used for control panels. Sonder has promised the same thing with his e-ink keycap, and is reportedly in discussions with Apple at one point.
By default it comes with a QWERTY keyboard, but the idea is that if you are using Final Cut Pro, for example, all keys are converted to the graphic representation of the editing tool.
Unfortunately, the Sonder keyboard didn’t actually come true despite the company’s orders being taken.
But Apple’s set of patents suggests that the company wants to go further and develop a fully soft keyboard, a second display that can be configured as a keyboard.
Three problems and Apple’s suggested solutions
The idea of a MacBook with a soft keyboard is enough to bring nightmares to Mac fans. Because there are three major issues with this idea.
- My fingers hurt when I use a glass keyboard
- No feedback when pressing the virtual key
- I can’t touch typing because my fingers can’t find the virtual key
For all these reasons, these are not suitable for anything other than the occasional writing.
However, Apple’s patents provide potential solutions to each of these issues.
- Flexible, deformable keyboard for comfortable typing
- Haptic feedback simulates actual key movement
- Static charging that allows you to feel the edge of the virtual key
I’m not sure if any of them will come to fruition anytime soon, but I have to say that Apple has a proven track record of solving at least one of these issues. MacBook trackpads have been solid-state trackpads for years, and the haptic feedback of “click” feels completely persuasive to me. So I think the company will get there in time.
Apple has a form to use the iPad as a testbed.
Apple has many times introduced new technology to the iPad ahead of the Mac.
OLED screens are one example, but some may argue that it is simply a matter of size. OLED screens began as an expensive technology that Apple first used on its smallest screen device, the Apple Watch, and then on iPhones and iPads ahead of future adoption on MacBooks.
Face ID is an example that was first introduced on the iPhone and then the iPad, but has not yet been introduced on the Mac.
The Center Stage camera feature was installed on the iPad in 2021, but the Mac is only available on the latest M4 MacBook Pro this year.
Cellular iPads were forever, but the earliest ones were Maybe For Macs it’s 2026.
I sometimes see it in software too. iPadOS may be behind macOS in most respects, but there are also examples of new features being released on iPads before Macs. For example, the Books and Shortcuts app, the Full-Function messaging app, and more recently Genmoji.
4 reasons to choose iPad First
So my doubts are that this is Apple’s plan and there are four reasons why you should try the iPad first.
First, the most obvious thing is that the iPad is already an all-touch device. Certainly, some people connect and use Magic Keyboard almost permanently, but those users are also a niche market. For most iPad owners, the iPad is a touch-based device so there’s no problem leaving it alone.
Secondly, technology. It will take time and probably still many years to develop Apple’s three solutions to avoid making soft keyboards at least terrible.
Third, the controversy. Even if Apple solves three issues, launching a MacBook without a physical keyboard would be difficult. In a large amount Controversial moves! It can also be used as an option in the lineup. Switching iPhone ports and removing headphone sockets would look like a gentle ripple on Apple’s PR pond. An all-screen MacBook will be a tsunami.
Fourth, we’re looking for ways to express ourselves that won’t distract those who use the iPad as their main device, but the iPad doesn’t have much risk. While the iPhone may be Apple’s most profitable device so far, the Mac is still considered the most serious and professional product category. Failing to launch an iPad would have less impact than doing the same on a Mac.
What is your opinion?
So, in my opinion, the folding iPad is an expensive niche product and will be closer to the Vision Pro than the rest. But Apple uses it as a stepping stone to more dramatic movements than an all-screen MacBook. what about you?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image: Michael Bower/9to5Mac
(Tag Translation)Mac
