New report reiterates rumor that Apple is working on a 20-inch Mac laptop with a foldable display

A new report from the Korean site, The Elec, reiterates the rumor that Apple is working on a 20-inch foldable device — apparently, a Mac laptop.

The repeats a December 2022 report that claimed that Apple is eyeing a mainstream commercial launch of the foldable device in 2026 or 2027. However, the article added that this isn’t likely to happen until the tech giant equips all Macs and iPads with OLED displays. Currently, only the high-end iPhone and Apple Watch models have such screens.

The Elec report isn’t the first time that the rumor of a Mac with affordable screen has been mentioned. In a February Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) report — as noted by MacRumors — analyst Ross Young said Apple is considering a 20-inch foldable MacBook. He adds that it and a foldable iPhone won’t arrive until 2025 — if not later.

Young says a foldable laptop could form a new product category. If it arrives, it could be a dual-use product: able to work as a notebook with a full-size on-screen keyboard when folded and as a monitor when unfolded and used with an external keyboard. The foldable could also allow for 4K resolutions or higher at the size Apple is investigating, Young added.

As wild as the idea sounds, Apple has filed for multiple patents that hint at foldable Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Included among them are patent filing 10,579,105 and patent filing number 20190163233