90%
Highly Likely
The iPhone Fold is arriving to the market several years after Apple’s competitors have refined multiple versions, which only means that the next category to introduce this unique form factor will be the iPad. While this product would be the obvious choice, a new report states that there’s a chance that the foldable tablet launch may not happen, and it boils down to reasons such as price, design complications, and software optimizations.
Even if Apple manages to scale past the internal problems surrounding the iPad Fold, its potentially exorbitant price will threaten its popularity
In Mark Gurman’s latest ‘Power On’ newsletter, the Bloomberg correspondent talks about Apple’s foldable iPad being worked on behind closed doors and is actually a priority for the firm’s upcoming CEO, John Ternus. However, people close to the matter have informed Gurman that there’s a high chance the device will remain in its experimental state and may not see a release.
The reason behind the iPad Fold not seeing a launch hasn’t been disclosed in the newsletter, but it likely has to do with Apple’s priorities and whether the product may not generate substantial revenue for the cost incurred to bring it to the masses. Take the iPhone Fold, for instance. Typically, the California-based giant sells iPhones to the tune of billions, with the lineup accounting for more than half of Apple’s quarterly revenue.
This level of success is due to iPhones selling in millions, but the iPhone Fold is only said to have an initial stock of 11 million units, likely because of manufacturing complications, requiring each unit to be individually inspected for blemishes and packaged before shipping. As for the iPad, the regular-shaped tablets only command a fraction of the revenue brought by iPhones, meaning the foldable iPad will barely register in those figures, as it will be a niche product.
Even if Apple somehow scales past the high price and poor reception of the new tablet, we’re forgetting that the iPad Fold is rife with engineering challenges that can potentially compromise its build quality and longevity, which is a direction Apple won’t take, as this move will tarnish its brand name if there’s a catastrophic malfunction between several units.
We’re also ignoring that iPadOS will offer limited functionality, and for the money they have to pay for a foldable iPad, they are much better off investing in an expensive Mac. In short, for Apple to proceed with a launch, there needs to be a sizable market for these form factors. To remind you, the M5 Vision Pro didn’t take off either, despite the AR headset market having matured.
News Source: Bloomberg
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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