As a rule, reliable sources predict an iPad in 2023 without major updates. But that could just be preparing the tablet for a big update in 2024 – supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is working on a foldable iPad with a built-in kickstand that will be released sometime next year along with a new version of the iPad mini. at the beginning of 2024.
Kuo’s information came from Hong Kong-based Anije Technology, which is said to be “a supplier of polishing and gluing the carbon fiber stand for the foldable iPad.”
A foldable iPad with a stand (most likely in the iPad Pro line, as this is where Apple usually introduces new screen designs and technologies) will be a mixture of new and old tablet ideas. Folding screens have appeared in some smartphones and tablets, but are still relatively rare and expensive, and Apple has yet to use them in any of its products. Meanwhile, Microsoft Surface tablets have had a built-in kickstand for over a decade, while Apple has relied on a series of increasingly expensive keyboard cases and kickstands to support the iPad Pro.
Folding screens could allow companies to ship larger tablets that can be folded to a reasonable size for travel and storage. Various reports (collected here by MacRumors) suggest that Apple has worked on iPads in the 14 to 16-inch range before, but the 12.9-inch iPad Pro remains Apple’s largest tablet to date.
Kuo often pinpoints the direction Apple is taking with its developments, usually tracking the behavior of the company’s overseas suppliers. But its time projections could be off by a generation or two of products as Apple changes its mind about new products based on supply chain or manufacturing issues. Ross Young, another analyst who monitors Apple’s display technology, said he is aware of “several”planned iPads with new OLED displays in 2024, but no foldable model. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says the same.