Folding MacBook rumors return, but it's not all good news
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Reliable industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has been one of the go-to sources for all things 'folding MacBook,' and he's back again with yet another update.
On Wednesday, Kuo took to X to deliver the news that Apple has scrapped the 20.25-inch folding MacBook design, and is instead focusing primarily on a version with an 18.8-inch display.
Losing almost two inches of display size isn't great, but it's not the worst news Kuo shared. According to Kuo, "the assembly mass production schedule has been pushed back from 1H26 to the end of 2027 or 2028."
Put another way, that means you might have to wait up to 4 years to get your hands on a foldable MacBook.
Kuo says this delay is because of "technical challenges with the display and mechanical." I can only assume these challenges have something to do with Apple's design goal for a "crease-free panel," which Kuo mentioned back in May.
Ironically, this latest release estimate is more in line with what Kuo originally posted when first talking about the foldable MacBook in March.
When will the folding MacBook make an appearance?
When Kuo first tipped a foldable MacBook on X in March, he said that "Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027."
A few months later in May, Kuo wrote in a Medium post, "The target mass production schedule for the panel and assembly is 4Q25 and 1H26, respectively (compared to the previous estimate of 2027)."
Now, it appears we're backtracking to Kuo's initial estimate, and possibly even later than that. Even if we don't see a foldable MacBook until 2027 or 2028, at least we know it exists, right?
If the timeline is pushed back to 2028, it does make me wonder whether the foldable MacBook will debut with an M5 series processor like Kuo originally predicted. Or will this folding MacBook be the first to show off an M6 series processor? Only time will tell.
Kuo also didn't give any updates on price, so we're still going off the estimate that a Apple's foldable MacBook could be priced as much as a Vision Pro headset, around $3,500.
If you're still curious about this mythical gadget, check out everything we know so far on the all-screen foldable MacBook.
MORE FROM LAPTOP MAG
Solve the daily Crossword
