Foldable iPad seems like a certainty for 2024

A notable Apple analyst says they're 'positive' a big iPad upgrade is on the way

(Credit: Apple)

Apple could launch a foldable iPad in 2024, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo has a venerable record when it comes to predicting future Apple products, and went as far as to tweet “I’m positive about the foldable iPad in 2024 and expect this new model will boost shipments and improve the product mix.”

Kuo also said there will be no new iPad releases in the next nine to 12 months as an iPad mini refresh will begin at the start of 2024.

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Foldable iPad

• 🔮 Apple supply chain analyst says a foldable iPad could launch next year

• 📆 A refreshed iPad mini will also be released during Q1 2024

• 👎 However, no new iPad models will arrive this year

• 🍏 Apple recently launched the 10th-gen iPad and a iPad Pro M2 model

The lack of any new iPad releases this year will inevitably lead to a decline in shipments, with Kuo predicting a year-on-year decline of around 10 to 15%.

郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) @mingchikuo

(3/3) Anjie Technology will be the new beneficiary of the all-new design foldable iPad. There may be no new iPad releases in the next 9-12 months as the iPad mini refresh is more likely to begin mass production in 1Q24.

It was previously reported that Apple was looking to launch a massive 16-inch iPad towards the end of 2023, but Kuo’s prediction puts that rumor in doubt. A 14-inch iPad Pro model with a mini-LED display was also apparently in the works, according to display analyst Ross Young.

If a foldable iPad does indeed release next year, predictions suggest it will come with a carbon fiber kickstand and will include a virtual keyboard when it’s used in a clamshell-style orientation.

In October last year, Apple released a 10th-generation iPad and a new iPad Pro M2 model. The new iPad includes a new all-screen design, comes in four colors and is powered by the A14 Bionic chip.

Apple recently announced a new line of MacBook Pro and Mac mini devices that are powered by its in-house M2 silicon. The new MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch models tout Apple’s longest Mac battery life to date, though storage on the entry models is slower than many would like.