We’re not expecting to see Apple’s rumored folding iPad until next year at the earliest, but Huawei’s new MateBook Fold is a good match for reports of the form-factor.
The launch coincides with a new report saying that Amazon is also working on something similar, and that too is expected to launch ahead of the foldable iPad …
Folding iPad reports
Rumors of Apple working on a folding iPad date back many years, with the device always reported to be one or two years away.
There’s been some confusion about whether the device – with an unfolded screen variously reported to be in the 18-20 inch range – would be an iPad or a MacBook with soft keyboard, and Bloomberg at one point even suggested it could be a hybrid device.
More recent reports point to an 18.8-inch iPad Fold. That is, an iPad equivalent of the iPhone Fold, opening out into a much larger screen. There’s still no consensus view on when this will launch, however.
Huawei’s MateBook Fold
Huawei’s MateBook Fold does seem to be a good match for what is expected from Apple, opening out to an 18-inch screen, but also capable of being used as a pseudo-laptop.
It’s a touch under 15mm (0.6 inches) thick when closed, and 7.3mm (0.3 inches) when unfolded. In the unfolded form, it can be used in a number of different modes:
- Flat, as a single large tablet
- Flat, with an external physical keyboard, as a PC
- Laptop-like angle, with two virtual screens
- Pseudo laptop, with a soft keyboard
In laptop mode, it’s equivalent to a 13-inch screen.
It’s not a cheap device! Pricing has been announced as 23,999 yuan ($3,330) for the base model (32GB RAM, 1TB storage) and 26,999 yuan ($3,750) for the 2TB version. That would be pretty eye-watering even for an Apple device.
Kuo says Amazon version coming too
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Amazon is also working on something similar.
Apple’s competitors in the large-sized foldable device market may not be limited to Huawei. My research indicates that Amazon is also internally developing a similar product, which has not yet officially kicked off. If development progresses as planned, it is projected to enter mass production in late 2026 or 2027. (Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable device is slated for mass production in late 2027 or 2028.)
9to5Mac’s Take
The MateBook Fold is so crazily expensive that I think Huawei just wanted the street-cred of launching first, rather than anticipating much demand – especially as it runs the company’s own OS.
But it does give us an early look at the likely form-factor of the iPad Fold. We’re expecting the same ability to use flat as a giant iPad or PC with separate physical keyboard, or in laptop mode, and also roughly the same sizing.
Ignoring the OS, what are your first impressions of the hardware? Does it make you any more interested in an iPad Fold? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Highlighted accessories
Photos: Huawei
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