Highlights
- Apple is considering 20.25-inch and 18.8-inch screen sizes for its foldable MacBook.
- LG Display is expected to be the exclusive supplier of the foldable panels.
- Production of foldable panels is set to begin in Q4 2025, with assembly starting in H1 2026.
- The foldable MacBook will feature the upcoming M5 chip and is anticipated to have a high price point.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared more insight into Apple’s plans for a foldable MacBook.
Kuo says Apple is considering two screen sizes for the device: 20.25 inches and 18.8. When folded, they are equivalent to a 14-15 inch and a 13-14 inch laptop, respectively.
Screen Size and Supplier
Contrary to previous reports, Kuo thinks LG Display will be the exclusive supplier of foldable panels to the MacBook.
This may be related to how LG Display and Samsung Display did when supplying OLED panels for the recently announced iPad Pro tablets.
Production Timeline
Kuo says production of the foldable panel, whatever size Apple decides on, will start in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The foldable MacBook assembly will start in the first half of 2026.
So expect something between then and the announcement of this rumored folding MacBook.
Apple is, of course, comparatively late to the folding game.
Compared to the Android competitors, they are typically late to market on the majority of items.
But Apple has mastered the art of revealing devices that integrate new technologies far superior to what other OEMs can do.
Specs and Pricing
The foldable MacBook would be powered by Apple’s M5 chip, which has not been officially announced yet.
Kuo says Apple is trying to minimize the foldable screen’s crease, which will cost between $600-$650 per unit, while each hinge would cost $200-$250.
With these expensive components, Kuo estimates the foldable MacBook will be an expensive device, with a Bill of Materials close to the Vision Pro.
That said, Kuo thinks shipments of the foldable MacBook are going to be more than the Vision Pro, with over 1 million units shipped in 2026.
FAQs
What screen sizes is Apple considering for the foldable MacBook?
Apple is considering two screen sizes: 20.25 inches and 18.8 inches, which, when folded, will be equivalent to 14-15 inches and 13-14 inches, respectively.
Who will supply the foldable panels for the MacBook?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that LG Display will be the exclusive supplier of the foldable panels for the MacBook.
When will production of the foldable panels begin?
Production of the foldable panels is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2025.
What chip will power the foldable MacBook?
The foldable MacBook will be powered by Apple’s upcoming M5 chip.
What are the expected costs of the foldable screen and hinge components?
The foldable screen is expected to cost between $600-$650 per unit, and each hinge is estimated to cost $200-$250.
When can we expect the foldable MacBook to be released?
The foldable MacBook assembly will begin in the first half of 2026, with a potential release later that year.
What are Expected features of the first all-screen MacBook ?
Here are some of the key features Kuo expects to see in the all-screen MacBook:
Multiple foldable screen options are still possible, with the rumored 20.3-inch display potentially replaced by an 18.8-inch panel.
The former would, when folded, resemble a current 14-15-inch MacBook, while the latter would correspond better to a modern day 13-14-inch model like the smaller MacBook Air.
A 2026 debut is now expected for the device, one year earlier than previously reported.
The MacBook is expected to receive an M5-series chip, which lines up with the expected timeline of the M4 spreading to the whole Mac lineup by the end of 2025.
Apple’s goal is to provide a crease-free design for the foldable display.
What does Kuo say on Apple’s design ambition ?
Apple aims to make the panel as crease-free as possible, requiring high design specifications for both the panel and the hinge.
As a result, the cost of the panel and hinge is very high. Current preliminary estimates put the panel and hinge costs at around $600–650 and $200–250, respectively.
This high component cost means this MacBook is expected to reach a starting price point that greatly exceeds Apple’s current laptop line. Kuo writes:
Given the high cost of the display and hinge, the foldable MacBook is likely to be expensive. Unless Apple can significantly improve yields and reduce costs before mass production, the BOM cost of the foldable MacBook could approach that of the current Vision Pro.
MacBook With Foldable Display Will Actually Have 18.8-Inch Screen, Analyst Says. Details?
Less than two hours after Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said a MacBook with either an 18.8-inch or 20.2-inch foldable screen would launch in 2026, display industry expert Ross Young has said the device will indeed feature around an 18.8-inch screen.
In a post on social media platform X, limited to his paying subscribers, Young said he expects the device to be equipped with an 18.76-inch display instead of a 20.25-inch display for “cost reasons.”
In a folded position, Kuo said an 18.8-inch MacBook would be similar in size to a traditional 13-inch or 14-inch MacBook.
It is expected that a MacBook with a foldable screen would feature an all-screen design with a virtual keyboard, but exact design details have yet to be rumored.
Kuo said Apple is aiming to make the foldable screen “as crease-free as possible,” and he said this could result in the device being nearly as expensive as Apple’s Vision Pro headset, which starts at $3,499.
He also said the foldable-screen MacBook will be equipped with Apple’s next-generation M5 chip, which has yet to be announced.
It seems like a foldable-screen MacBook is still a few years away, and Apple will firm up its plans for the device as its launch gets closer.
Also Read: Apple to Possibly Unveil Foldable iPhone or iPad by 2026-2027
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