Ryan Haines / Android Authority
long story short
- Apple is reportedly exploring a foldable iPad but has not yet been able to create a crease-free folding display.
- It is believed that if the company cannot eliminate the display crease, it may abandon the concept.
We’ve been seeing reports of Apple developing a foldable iPad for a while now. However, it now appears that Apple may discontinue the device if it fails to address key hurdles for foldable phones.
Bloomberg Journalist Mark Gurman claimed in his Power On newsletter that Apple is indeed exploring a foldable iPad. However, the reporter added that the phone maker has not found a way to make a folding screen without creases.
Gurman’s sources told him that if the foldable iPad doesn’t deliver a crease-free experience, Apple may abandon it entirely. The reporter pointed out that Apple still has time to solve this problem. After all, a South Korean news outlet recently reported that Apple’s foldable device is expected to arrive in the first half of 2027. The outlet also claims that Apple is working on creating a foldable screen without creases.
All foldable phones currently on the market have display creases, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold (pictured above). Those gutters are getting smaller, though, and we praised the OnePlus Open’s very shallow crease in our review. Therefore, it’s entirely possible that foldable screens without creases will be launched in the next few years.
We’re also curious to see if Apple can address some of the other pain points of current foldable phones, such as a lack of dust resistance and the cheap feel of foldable screens.