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Apple is reportedly working on its first foldable iPad, which could be released as soon as 2024 according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Citing supply chain sources, the analyst believes that this foldable iPad will come with a carbon fiber kickstand, which would be a first for an iPad.

“I’m positive about the foldable iPad in 2024 and expect this new model will boost shipments and improve the product mix,” Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted. The analyst also added that there may be no new iPad models released in the next 9-12 months, though a refreshed iPad Mini may be on the cards for early 2024.

We last heard about Apple’s work on foldable devices in February 2022, with two separate reports about Apple working on a new 20-inch foldable device. That information first came from Ross Young, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, who said that such a device could be released in 2025 at the earliest. This report was separately confirmed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who added that Apple’s foldable device could have one side of the display serving as a virtual keyboard.

Apple’s iPad lineup is quite in a weird place these days, as there’s quite some overlap between the Air and Pro models with their M-series chips and the redesigned entry-level iPad that looks just like them, but doesn’t support the exact same accessories. When you add the 6th gen iPad Mini to the mix, and this model costs more than the 10th-gen iPad despite being smaller, it’s hard not be confused about which iPad to buy today.

Could a foldable iPad bring some clarity to the high-end iPad lineup? That remains to be seen, though it’s worth reminding that Apple slowly iterates. Ross Young previously reported that the first iPad Pro models with OLED displays could come in 2024, so Apple launching a foldable iPad that same year would be a lot of product updates in a relatively short period of time.

Source: Thurrott  By: Laurent Giret