Report: Apple is planning both a foldable screen and a kickstand for the iPad
Enlarge (credit: Apple)
Normally reliable sources are predicting a quiet 2023 for the iPad, with few if any major upgrades. But that may just be setting the tablet up for a big update in 2024-supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is working on a foldable iPad with a built-in kickstand for release at some point next year, along with a new version of the iPad mini in early 2024.
Kuo's information appears to come from a Hong Kong-based company named Anije Technology, which is said to be "a polishing and bonding supplier of the carbon fiber kickstand for the foldable iPad."
A foldable iPad with a kickstand (most likely in the iPad Pro lineup, since that's where Apple tends to debut new designs and screen technology) would be a blend of new and old tablet ideas. Foldable screens have appeared in some smartphones and tablets but are still relatively rare and expensive, and Apple hasn't used them in any of its products yet. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Surface tablets have included a built-in kickstand for over a decade, while Apple has relied on a series of ever-more-expensive keyboard cases and stands to prop up the iPad Pro.