Apple Collaborating With LG to Develop iPads and MacBooks With Foldable OLED Displays and Ultra-Thin Cover Glass

[MacRumors]

Apple is collaborating with LG to develop a foldable OLED display panel with ultra-thin cover glass for future iPad and MacBook models, according to a report from The Elec.

The report explains that LG Display will supply 17-inch foldable 4K OLED panels to HP this year, destined for an in-folding notebook with an 11-inch display when closed. LG Display has growing expertise in foldable OLED displays, having supplied the 13.3-inch display panel for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.

The Elec claims that alongside its foldable OLED notebook panel for HP, Apple is collaborating with LG Display "to develop another foldable OLED panel." This panel will purportedly use an ultra-thin cover glass instead of polyimide, which most other foldable displays currently use.

The report is the second dependable sign from Apple's supply chain that large foldable devices are in development, since The Elec's claim appears to line up with a recent report from display analyst Ross Young, which said that Apple is exploring all-screen foldable notebooks with displays around 20-inches in size.

• How Would a MacBook With a Foldable Display Work?

Young said that these devices could form a whole new product category for Apple and result in a dual-use product, potentially able to work as a notebook with a full-size on-screen keyboard when folded and as a monitor when unfolded and used with an external keyboard. The devices feature 4K resolutions or higher at the size Apple is investigating, Young added.

While Young described the device as a "foldable notebook," it seemed plausible at the time that the all-screen device could actually be a foldable ‌iPad Pro‌, and today's report from The Elec's clarifies that the display panel in development is suitable for both tablets and notebooks.

According to Young, the launch timeframe for Apple's foldable notebook is "likely later" than 2025, with 2026 or 2027 being floated as reasonable possibilities.

Article Link: Apple Collaborating With LG to Develop iPads and MacBooks With Foldable OLED Displays and Ultra-Thin Cover Glass

 

[DeLaSoul]

Please Tim Apple give us a foldable Apple Watch that unfolds into K.I.T.T.

 

[Iliketheapples]

APRIL FOOLS APPLE ONLY CARES ABOUT DONGLES AND CHRONIC INCOMPATIBILITY.

 

[Danfango]

If foldable displays have even a 5% market share in 2030, I will buy a hat and eat it.

The idea is stupid for so many reasons from engineering to aesthetic to simple HCI.

I suspect this is an April fool but you just can’t tell now.

 

[44267547]

As fascinating as ‘foldable’ technology seems to likely be part of our future, it’s hard to be excited about this, because I think the price point will probably be overwhelming for the majority of consumers and how practical in terms of functionality will it actually be considering the high price that likely follows.

 

[xnu]

Neat. Ok that is all I can come up with this early in the morning.

 

[Aluminum213]

After reading this article I threw my iPad Pro in the garbage, Apple please release this quickly!

 

[TechRunner]

So we'll have a touchscreen MacOS laptop then? I thought that was taboo...

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

A foldable display would be superb, but it can't be the half-baked attempts that we've seen from Samsung.

Amazing technology, but I don't want to replace the display every could of months because of an abhorrent crease appearing across the middle of the screen.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

So we'll have a touchscreen MacOS laptop then? I thought that was taboo...

Touch screens work fine where you can place them in a comfortable using position. A touch screen iMac or MacBook in their current form factor would get old to use very quickly, because your arms will get tired. Touch surfaces need to be able to be held flat or allow your arms to rest somewhere, in the same way an iPad, foldable laptop, or how the Surface Studio works.

 

[DeLaSoul]

Soon we'll have the 27" Foldable Apple Studio Display. €3999, 5K, 600nits, no HDR, no Promotion. But hey it's got a crappy webcam, surround sound and it's foldable!1! (Height adjustable will cost you extra though) ?

 

[Berti10]

„Episode II - Return Of The Touchbar“

 

[The_Joker13]

This form factor could be useful in certain situations, such as media consumption where limited keyboard use is needed. Flying on a plane this would be a welcome alternative to using a smart keyboard, as my iPad Pro 12.9 is difficult to use as space is extremely limited.

 

[TechRunner]

Touch screens work fine where you can place them in a comfortable using position. A touch screen iMac or MacBook in their current form factor would get old to use very quickly, because your arms will get tired. Touch surfaces need to be able to be held flat or allow your arms to rest somewhere, in the same way an iPad, foldable laptop, or how the Surface Studio works.

I understand that, but we've been told for years that Apple will never have a touchscreen laptop. That was my point. Maybe I should have put a sarcasm emoji at the end? Sorry for the confusion.

 

[jlc1978]

So we'll have a touchscreen MacOS laptop then? I thought that was taboo...

While the idea is interesting and probably the future in terms of design, my concern is the keyboard winds up being virtual, making typing harder. Typing on my iPad is a lot les satisfying than on the Magic Keyboard. Sure, you can use a BT keyboard but then its one more thing to carry and the folding device simply a screen or smaller to carry iPad.

„Episode II - Return Of The Touchbar“

Nah, "The Touch Bar Strikes Back" followed by "The Return of the Keyboard"

 

[Col4bin]

April Fools… Amiright? Anyone?

 

[Col4bin]

„Episode II - Return Of The Touchbar“

Touchbar on steroids

 

[Kissmo1980]

Foldable = iPad not Mac....
April fools article.

 

[Pakaku]

There is a saying, "know when to fold 'em", that I'm not sure is applicable here for the right reasons, or the wrong reasons

 

[Berti10]

While the idea is interesting and probably the future in terms of design, my concern is the keyboard winds up being virtual, making typing harder. Typing on my iPad is a lot les satisfying than on the Magic Keyboard. Sure, you can use a BT keyboard but then its one more thing to carry and the folding device simply a screen or smaller to carry iPad.


Nah, "The Touch Bar Strikes Back" followed by "The Return of the Keyboard"

Or do you mean, „A new hope“? Or what about „The Rise of Butterfly“?

 

[44267547]

April Fools… Amiright? Anyone?

It’s not. If you click on the link that’s in the article that discusses the foldable displays (‘TheElec’), it mainly discusses LG as a supplier for HP, but is working with Apple on the side.

Side note:

That link in The MacRumors article is to an unsecure site.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

I understand that, but we've been told for years that Apple will never have a touchscreen laptop. That was my point. Maybe I should have put a sarcasm emoji at the end? Sorry for the confusion.

Aha no worries

 

[mattoruu]

Are we absolutely sure this isn’t an April Fools joke? I could understand a foldable screen tablet. But why a foldable screen laptop? A laptop already folds. What extra purpose would a folding screen on already-folding laptop serve? Unless the physical keyboard was a touch screen keyboard as well… but then it would be a tablet at that point, right?

Again, are we SURE this isn’t an April Fools joke?

I am not even going to pretend to be a design expert. I am just some random guy who doesn’t understand why this would be a thing that Apple would make (who doesn’t understand a lot of other things as well).

 

[nwcs]

I would be an April Fool to ever buy one of these or any of the various folding items. At least until there is some actual utility proved to me.

 

[syklee26]

If foldable displays have even a 5% market share in 2030, I will buy a hat and eat it.

The idea is stupid for so many reasons from engineering to aesthetic to simple HCI.

I suspect this is an April fool but you just can’t tell now.

That’s because you never have used it. Foldable tablet will work.