I recently came across this post from AppleHub on X, formerly known as Twitter, which showed off a render of an iPad beginning to fold in half. At first glance, it looked great. Who wouldn’t want their iPad Pro to fold in half, right? But then, as I started to think about how I use my iPad, I began to wonder if I would actually like that – would you?
Apple and foldable
As of now, Apple has been reluctant to get into the foldable game. Apple seems to take the ‘wait & see’ approach, letting other brands battle it out with new cutting-edge form factors. It sees how the market reacts, and then, once the technology has gotten to a point where Apple thinks it can innovate, it pounces into that market. There has been a recent report that Apple is actually on pace to announce its first foldable device in late 2024, but it will be an iPad and not an iPhone.
Top comment by Chris Laarman
I don't intend to buy any device that has hinges or folds (with notebooks as a half-hearted exception). I have learned from experience.
Besides, I don't like the thickness of the folded device. Nor the having to open it, which likely takes two hands.
As an iPad-first user and enthusiast, I really began to think about my iPad and how I would feel if it folded in half. I have a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, so if I folded it in half, I would get roughly an 8-inch outer display. What would I do with that display that I couldn’t already accomplish with my iPhone 15 Pro Max? I could use it to read books or scroll through some websites. But again, my iPhone already serves that purpose, and my 12.9-inch iPad Pro serves more as a computer when it comes to my personal workflow.
Folding iPhone or iPad?
I actually would first want to see Apple give us an iPhone that unfolds into a smaller iPad-type experience. That way, I can use my iPhone as intended and then open it to consume some content when I don’t want to bring my iPad. Then, I’d have the iPad Pro still be my workhorse computer. In theory, having a 12.9-inch iPad Pro that folds in half sounds great, but what would the advantage be? It will still be too big for a pocket or small purse, so you might as well leave that form factor alone. And I haven’t even begun to consider how a soft folding display could negatively impact the Apple Pencil experience on an iPad. There’s also the OS situation. What OS would an iPhone that unfolds into an iPad run? A mixture of iOS and iPadOS? These are all questions that Apple would need to answer.
Final Thoughts
I would say that Apple is still at least a year away from giving us any form of folding tech, whether it be with the iPad or iPhone. I don’t think Apple sees the appeal or the need to get into that space for now. Personally, I would love to see it happen just to see what Apple’s take on a folding device would be.
What do you think? Is a folding iPad or folding iPhone a better idea? Should Apple get into the folding tech game? Let’s discuss this in the comments!
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