Upcoming MacBook Pro could have a 20-inch folding display

By Aaron Leong December 7, 2022

We have a report out of the Korean tech news site The Elec that Apple is developing a 20-inch display. For what purpose it is truly unknown, but there’s speculation of it being meant for a MacBook or MacBook Pro-like device.

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There are no concrete production plans for this project, and could just very well be one of many of Apple’s technology or patent exercises. However, insiders are suggesting that the Cupertino, California company plans for 20-inch foldable products to drop sometime between 2026 and 2027. The hardware is being co-developed with a South Korean manufacturer (Samsung or LG perhaps?), with the specs being 20.25 inches with the display fully unfolded.

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According to The Elec, it is highly likely that the offspring of this project will be in a form close to a MacBook laptop. The thought behind that is the 20.25-inch display will actually be 15.3 inches in folded form. Current Apple MacBooks lie in the mid- to upper-10-inch display size, while iPad tablets range from just under 10 inches to the low 10-plus inch range, all of which meet the form factor of the new display.

The projected 2026-2027 launch is thought to be so because Apple wants to expand and solidify the adoption of OLED screens across its IT products first, before introducing foldable versions. Nevertheless, with this 20-inch folding display, could we be seeing it merge with other Apple patents, such as morphing touchscreen keyboards? Either way, it would be a massive departure for MacBook users, and likely something that will receive a lot of pushback, especially from users who prefer the tactility, productivity, and response of physical keyboards.

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