Apple rolling out the iPadOS was a huge plus point for the Cupertino company as it addressed some of the complaints users have been experiencing with their iPads. Apple's family of iPads are one of the most powerful and portable gadgets around, but the OS limited some users from taking full advantage of the machine's full capacity. Now the issues have been solved, and it seems the company is bent on proving it can maintain its strong grip in the tablet market. Apparently, there's a foldable iPad in the pipeline.
Foldables are definitely fashionable right now, and Apple won't be left out of it. According to Jeff Lin of the research firm IHS Markit, the tech behemoth is also planning something similar to Microsoft's rumored foldable Surface. Could there really be a foldable iOS?
"We think Apple will follow [a] similar Microsoft concept to develop the foldable device with iPad OS and Apple A series processors," Lin, associate director, Consumer Electronics at IHS Markit, said, adding that the device will likely be "MacBook display size."
Instead of a bendable display, the rumored Surface is said to have a dual-pane design. Presumably, Apple's take on the foldable gadget will also sport two displays. Lin added that the bendable iOS device would be 5G capable and it will most likely be powered by the company's A-series designed for the upcoming tablet lineup.
Before you get all excited, Lin believes that the development for such device will not begin till the iPhone 5G is released. That's not 'til next year, plus Apple really hasn't said anything that confirms what Lin claims.
As for the foldable Microsoft Surface, the device is expected to run Windows Core OS and sport a dual display UI. Connectivity-wise, it's said to be either LTE- or 5G-ready device. The screen is said to have a Book Mode, allowing users to fold the tablet without issues. And like Apple, Microsoft hasn't officially confirmed the device, but word is that there has been an internal demo already and the release date is somewhere between Q1 and Q2 2020.
A previous report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the first iPads capable of 5G connection will arrive in 2020, but before that, a mint set of components could be lined up for a newer version of the iPad Pro.
Nothing is official as of writing, and it could be years before any of these gadgets come to life, that is if these reports are true. For now, everything looks incredibly bright for the foldable market.
