It seems Apple's finally coming into the fold, but not in the way we expected.
Apple's just released new MacBook Airs, and there were very few surprises in their design. But it seems the tech giant is possibly preparing to make a major innovation in MacBook design not too far in the future.
There's long been speculation about whether Apple will ever release a touchscreen MacBook. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it's planning to go further still, with the launch of a foldable MacBook. While we've heard rumours in the past about the possibility of a foldable iPhone or foldable iPad, Kuo says that a 20.3-inch MacBook is "Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule".
It reminds us of the incredible 2024 Asus Zenbook Duo OLED, which we recently reviewed. What will be interesting is to see if Apple manages to do away with the separation between the two screens.
最近我多次被詢問蘋果是否計劃在 2025 年或 2026 年量產可折疊 iPhone 或 iPad。我的最新調查顯示，蘋果目前唯一有明確開發時程的可折疊產品，只有配備約20.3"顯示器、並預計在2027年量產的MacBook。--Recently, I've received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the…March 7, 2024
In a post on X, Kuo wrote: "Recently, I've received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the foldable iPhone or iPad in 2025 or 2026. My latest survey indicates that currently, Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027."
That claim doesn't come entirely out of the blue, and we have seen plenty of fan design concepts for MacBooks with a dual screen. A reportedly leaked roadmap of OLED Apple devices shared by @Tech_Reve last year suggested that such a foldable was in the works, but it was labelled as an iPad Pro not a MacBook laptop. If it does turn out to be a laptop, we wonder if will follow the lead of the latest Asus device, which has a detachable keyboard module capable of running on its own as a Bluetooth device.
The ASUS Zenbook Duo OLED 2024 (Image credit: Ian Evenden)
Apple has so far snubbed its nose at the trends of touchscreen laptops and foldable devices in general. Steve Jobs himself had rubbished the ergonomics of touchscreen laptops, but they have since become almost the norm for Windows devices, and 2-in-1 devices are some of the best laptops for drawing.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, has previously suggested that there will be an OLED MacBook Pro in 2026. For now Apple has no touchscreen or OLED screen laptop, but the MacBooks are still some of the best performing and best designed laptops available (see below for deals in your region).
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A design concept for a MacBook with a foldable screen by ADR Studio Design (Image credit: Adrstudiodesign)
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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
