Apple is working on a foldable device that can become both a Mac and an iPad. This reports a reliable Apple insider. The iPad-MacBook hybrid may be available as early as 2026.
Hybrid iPad MacBook
Last week, Ross Young reported that Apple is working on a MacBook with a 20-inch folding screen. When folded, the device acts like a MacBook, with the lower part being an on-screen keyboard. If you fold out the display, you have a kind of monitor that you operate with an external mouse and keyboard.
Trusted Apple Insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg confirms this rumor. “I’m told that Apple is exploring the possibility of a MacBook/iPad hybrid,” he says. The physical keyboard and trackpad of the MacBook would make way for a full touchscreen.
Thus, the foldable device can serve as an iPad, MacBook or monitor. It is not yet clear whether the folding screen will have macOS or iPadOS as its operating system, but we expect the second.
Not for the first time
Apple wouldn’t be the first to create a hybrid between a laptop and a tablet. The ThinkPad X1 Fold (seen at the top of this article) was the first. The X1 Fold is equipped with Windows 10, has an Intel Core processor and has a 13-inch OLED screen. You operate it with a pen, keyboard or touchscreen.
According to Young, Apple is aiming for a release in 2026 or 2027. This will be an interesting period, because the tech giant from Cupertino also wants to launch Apple glasses and Apple Car at this stage.
Also this year there are nice products coming. For example, Apple is expected to launch a VR headset at the end of the year. The iPhone 14 models are expected in September. And in March, the company may unveil the iPhone SE 2022 and iPad Air 2022.
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