Apple’s foldable iPad is likely a test-bed for a future MacBook

Bloomberg It was reported this weekend that apple A foldable prototype has been made iPadand Scheduled for release in 2028. It is said that the screen size of the device when unfolded is close to 20 inches.

The report is interesting because it describes a method that looks almost like Visual Probut Apple may launch it for similar reasons…

The foldable iPad is a niche product

Mark Gurman Describing the device as “a giant iPad”.

Apple designers are working on something akin to a giant iPad that could unfold side by side to the size of two iPad Pros. As far as I know, the Cupertino, California-based company has been polishing the product for years and plans to bring it to market around 2028.

He suggested spending well over $2,000, which I think is probably a conservative estimate.

My colleague Ryan Christoffel actually replaced MacBook With the iPad, I think it might just be It turned out to be his dream product. I have no doubt the device will find other fans as well, but with its fairly professional appeal and hefty price tag, I think it’s just a niche product more similar to the Vision Pro than anything else in Apple’s lineup. -up.

But it’s likely to be a testbed for future MacBooks

However, the Vision Pro shows that Apple isn’t afraid to launch a niche product as a stepping stone toward more mainstream products. CEO Tim Cook has been Be upfront about this Late.

“At $3,500, this is not a mass-market product,” Cook said. “Right now, it’s an early adopter product.”

Vision Pro aims to usher in more affordable headphones and ultimately apple glasses.

Likewise, the foldable iPad appears to lead the way to something Apple has been eyeing for years: a MacBook with a soft keyboard. this Touch Bar is a first step in this direction, although not a successful person.

Bringing iPhone-like flexibility to MacBook

When Steve Jobs launched the original iPhone in 2007, his pitch was that every existing smartphone at the time had a physical keyboard. He argued that it’s great when you need a QWERTY keyboard, but when you don’t need a QWERTY keyboard, it’s a waste of space.

Physical keyboards also limit you to a single layout, which may not be suitable for all apps. Sometimes you need a US QWERTY keyboard, sometimes you need a foreign keyboard, sometimes you need a numeric keypad, and sometimes it’s something else entirely.

There have been many attempts at dynamic keyboards for laptops and desktops. The main approach so far has been to have physical keyboards that dynamically assign LCD, LED, or e-ink keycaps.

The earliest commercial from e3 Keysnow use the same method for the control panel. Sonder has promised to do something similar with e-ink keycaps, reportedly at one point In discussions with Apple.

The idea is that by default you have a QWERTY keyboard, but when you use Final Cut Pro, for example, all keystrokes are converted into graphical representations of the editing tools.

Unfortunately Sonder Keyboard never really materializedeven though the company accepted the order.

But a series of Apple patents suggest the company wants to go even further, with a fully soft keyboard, a second display that can be configured as a keyboard.

These three problems, and Apple’s proposed solutions

The idea of ​​a MacBook with a soft keyboard is enough to give Mac fans nightmares, because there are three big problems with this idea:

• Glass keyboard hurts fingers
• No feedback when pressing virtual keys
• You can’t touch type because your fingers can’t find the virtual keys

For all these reasons they are not suitable for any purpose other than the occasional sentence.

But Apple’s patent has describes potential solutions For each question:

• Flexible, deformable keyboard for comfortable typing
• Tactile feedback that simulates real key motion
• Electrostatic charge allows us to feel the edges of virtual keys

I’m not sure these things are coming anytime soon, but I have to say that Apple has a good track record of solving at least one of these problems: MacBook trackpads have been solid-state trackpads for years, and “clicky” tactile feedback Totally convincing to me. So I do think the company will get there in time.

Apple has laid out a table for using iPads as a test platform

Apple has introduced new technologies to the iPad many times before the Mac.

OLED screens are one example, although one might say it’s just a matter of size – it was initially an expensive technology, first used by Apple on its smallest screen device, the Apple Watch, then on the iPhone and iPad, and finally by future Used by MacBook.

Face ID is another example, coming first to the iPhone, then to the iPad, but not yet to the Mac.

Center Stage Camera Features Coming to iPad in 2021but only Coming to Mac this year In the latest M4 MacBook Pro.

Cellular iPads have always been around, but they were also the first us possible View Mac version It’s 2026.

We sometimes see it in software as well. While iPadOS may lag behind macOS in most aspects, there have been examples of new features being rolled out to the iPad before the Mac. Examples include books and shortcuts apps, full-featured messaging apps, and most recently, Genmoji.

Four reasons to choose iPad first

So I suspect this is Apple’s plan to test the waters with the iPad first for four reasons.

First, and most obviously, the iPad is already an all-touch device. Yes, some people have it almost permanently connected to their Magic Keyboard, but those users are also a niche market. For most iPad users, it’s a touch-based device, so there’s no problem keeping it that way.

Second, technology. Apple’s three at least less terrible solutions to soft keyboards will take time to develop, and probably many more years.

Third, controversy. Even if Apple solves these three problems, launching a MacBook without a physical keyboard will still be a problem. on a large scale Controversial move! Even if it’s just an option in the lineup. That would make things like changing iPhone ports and ditching the headphone jack seem like minor ripples in Apple’s PR pool; a full-screen MacBook would be a tsunami.

Fourth, I tried to find a way to express this in a way that wouldn’t upset those who use an iPad as their primary device, which is less risky. The iPhone may be Apple’s most profitable device to date, but the Mac is still viewed as its most serious and professional product category. Making a mistake when launching the iPad may have less consequences than making the same mistake on a Mac.

What’s your opinion?

So my point is that the foldable iPad will be an expensive niche product more similar to the Vision Pro than anything else, but Apple will use it as a stepping stone toward a more compelling move toward full-screen MacBooks. And you?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Image: Michael Ball/9to5Mac