Foldable iPad with carbon-fiber kickstand could launch in 2024

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AI rendering of a folding iPad.
Are you ready for a foldable iPad?
Render: Midjourney/Lewis Wallace

Apple’s rumored foldable iPad could feature a carbon-fiber kickstand. While expensive, carbon fiber is durable and would help keep the device’s weight in check.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the foldable iPad might launch in 2024 with an all-new design.

Foldable iPad with a kickstand might launch in 2024

In a series of tweets, Kuo said iPad shipments will decline by 10% to 15% YoY in 2023. This is because Apple is not working on any iPad refresh for this year. He thinks the next iPad mini refresh will enter into mass production in Q1 2024.

Reports suggest Apple’s first foldable device will be an iPad, not an iPhone. A report from April 2022 claimed the company has teamed up with LG Display to build foldable iPads and MacBooks. However, it is difficult to ascertain if Apple plans to launch a foldable iPad in 2024.

The addition of a kickstand would help the device stand out from other foldables on the market. Presumably, it should allow users to prop the foldable device at different angles. This could be helpful while making video calls or consuming content.

iPad mini refresh coming next year

Apple last gave the iPad mini a significant overhaul in September 2021. That model brought an updated design with slimmer bezels, a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, and faster internals. There are no leaks on what the seventh-gen iPad mini could pack, but it should be an iterative upgrade focusing primarily on an internal refresh.

2024 could be a big year for the iPad lineup, though. The rumor mill suggests Apple is working on switching to OLED displays on its 2024 iPad Pro refresh. Currently, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro features a mini LED-backlit panel, while the smaller model uses a traditional 11-inch LCD.  Combined with the launch of a foldable iPad and a mini refresh, iPads shipments should get a boost next year.

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