Apple is experimenting with various devices with foldable displays, including a MacBook. You might immediately want to point out that the MacBook is already foldable, but what we're talking about is an all-display MacBook form factor that has no standard keyboard.
Concept by AstropadThis guide covers everything we know about Apple's work on an all-display foldable Mac in the MacBook family.
Form Factor
According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young, Apple is working on foldable notebooks with displays that measure in at around 20 inches in size.
Young says that this would be a new product category for Apple, with the company perhaps selling such a device alongside traditional MacBooks with keyboards. An all-display foldable would feature a large single screen that could be folded in half.
The foldable MacBook would be dual-use, able to work as both a notebook when folded in half and as a monitor when used with an external keyboard.
Alternatively, Apple could create a foldable display with a physical keyboard, which would allow for a taller vertical display that would fold down into a compact package. We explore the different display possibilities in our dedicated foldable MacBook article.
Concept by Majin BuDisplay Technology
Apple is rumored to be working with LG Display to develop a foldable OLED display panel that could be used for future foldable MacBook and iPad devices.
LG Display is working on technology that would use an ultra-thin cover glass, an upgrade over the polyimide material that current foldable displays use.
Apple also is testing electronic paper display (EPD) technology that could be used in future foldable devices, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple could use color EPD displays from Chinese company E Ink, as this technology would be much more energy efficient than other forms of display technology.
Display Size
According to recent rumors, Apple is developing a 20.3-inch OLED foldable display that could be destined for a future MacBook. The display is said to measure in at 20.25 inches specifically, which would feature a 15.3-inch screen when folded.
Digital Keyboard
It would have an on-screen keyboard with digital keys rather than a physical keyboard, with Apple perhaps employing haptic feedback for key feel. Apple already uses haptic feedback for the trackpad on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro to simulate a click, so something similar could be used for an all-display device.
Resolution
At the ~20-inch size that Apple is experimenting with, the foldable notebook could have a 4K or higher resolution.
Rumor Accuracy
So far we've only heard about a MacBook with a foldable display from a single source, Ross Young. Young is a well-known display analyst who often provides us with accurate insight into Apple's display plans.
He correctly predicted iPhone 13 Pro's ProMotion display, the display size and bezels of the sixth-generation iPad mini, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro's mini-LED displays with ProMotion, and more.
Release Date
Display analyst Ross Young said in July 2022 that Apple could bring some kind of foldable notebook to market in 2026 or 2027, and it is as of yet unclear if such a device would be classified as a Mac, an iPad, or something in between. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in 2024 that Apple would introduce a 20.3-inch foldable MacBook around 2027.
