Apple Has Reportedly Halted Foldable iPad Development, Likely Due To Manufacturing Difficulties; Lack Of Sufficient Demand For Tablets And Potentially Expensive Price Also Leading Factors

The next step to expand Apple’s foldable product range after the iPhone would undoubtedly be the iPad. Unfortunately, a report states that there have been a series of problems for the company, which has apparently forced it to put the brakes on the tablet’s development process, suggesting that it could be a few years before we see a foldable iPad in the works. Then again, while the engineering behind this product will be extraordinary, it will hardly help if the buyers are not in the millions, which is one of the major challenges for Apple.

The profitability factor probably did not make sense for Apple regarding the foldable iPad; customers would likely be discouraged by the high price alone

A paywalled report from DigiTimes mentions the early prototyping stage of Apple’s foldable iPhone, with a previous rumor discussing the device’s book-style form factor and updated aspect ratio of 14.1:10, along with the use of a titanium alloy chassis, 48MP cameras, and more. We expect the foldable iPad to also carry the same hardware, but the tipster @Jukanlosreve spotted an interesting update regarding the new tablet, which mentioned that development had been halted.

Despite DigiTimes' ‘hit and miss’ track record, we can understand why Apple would not want to proceed with the foldable iPad’s development, and some of the pointers have been mentioned in the report. For instance, the manufacturing problems coupled with the expensive components, particularly the flexible display technology, are some of the many roadblocks that Apple would encounter. Given the technology giant’s affinity for prioritizing product design, the crease on any foldable product would be seen as a blemish.

Unfortunately, given the nature of such devices, mitigating or eliminating that crease is expensive, with notable display analyst Ross Young commenting that Apple would need to use a thicker front glass on the foldable iPhone that is chemically treated to get rid of the crease. Adding this step to the manufacturing process will increase Apple’s production expenses again. It is also important to note that the company commands the highest global market share in tablets, with this division bringing in $6.4 billion in revenue during the Q2 2025 earnings call.

However, sales are stagnant for this product lineup because consumers have found little to no use for a tablet. Also, those upgrading to these slates have a higher likelihood of keeping them significantly longer than smartphones and laptops because of the lack of meaningful use cases. A foldable iPad could have a ton of eyeballs on it during the official unveiling, but that does not necessarily translate into a boatload of sales. If anything, the high price associated with the complicated manufacturing process could potentially boost sales of the regular-shaped iPads, and the millions invested in its R&D would not make sense from a profitability standpoint.

News Source: DigiTimes

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