Apple Inc. is reportedly developing a giant foldable iPad that could come to market around 2028, according to the latest reports of the iPhone maker exploring foldable devices as the technology matures in Android products.

The latest claim comes from the usually reliable Apple analyst Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who claims that Apple is developing something “akin to a giant iPad that unfolds into the size of two iPad Pros side-by-side.” Gurman also claims that the company has been honing the product for several years.

Gurman adds that Apple’s goal for the foldable device is to avoid the crease that current products have when they are folded out. Apparently, Apple has made progress on this front, with the prototype having a “nearly invisible crease,” but it’s unclear whether the crease can be gotten rid of altogether.

“Apple knows that customers — gamers, software developers, or just people watching movies — want the biggest screen possible,” Gurman wrote. “And the only way to sensibly ship a mobile product with a large display (one approaching 20 inches or so) is to make it foldable. Otherwise, it’s too hard to throw into a purse or backpack.”

It’s no surprise that Apple may be pursuing a foldable device; the only question is exactly what types it’s considering.

Previous reports that Apple was developing foldable devices include one in February that Apple was developing two foldable iPhones. In January 2023, it was reported that Apple was developing a foldable iPhone for a potential launch in 2024. And as far back as May 2021, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would develop a foldable iPhone with an eight-inch screen for shipping in 2023.

Clearly, none of the previous predictions have come true. Whether Gurman is right or not with this latest prediction only time will tell. But time is of the essennce for Apple. Arriving very late to market with supposedly “superior” products has turned out to be a losing strategy for Apple lately, the flop of its VisionPro headset the best case in point.

The idea that Apple is holding off because it wants to create an invisible crease also belies the fact that there are already products on the market with very few to no creases, such as the trifold Huawei Mate XT. The number of foldable devices on the market and their offerings will only increase while Apple tinkers; the longer Apple waits, the more its competitors will gain an established, hard-to-beat lead in the foldable market space.

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