Apple iPad Duo foldable tablet taking design cues from Huawei MateBook Fold

Apple's plans for foldable devices are getting fleshed out more now that the iPhone Duo has had a successful launch in terms of demand, if not when it comes to supply.

Apple is reportedly testing a "giant folding tablet" that takes inspiration from "that Huawei one," referring to the Huawei MateBook Fold that the company released in August. While the tip should be treated as a rumor, it jibes with the predictions of famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says that Apple will release a bendy iPad in 2028.

iPad Duo price and specs to expect

If true, Apple has picked a tough act to follow. The latest MateBook Fold, powered by the Kirin X90 Plus, launched in August with an 18-inch dual-layer OLED panel. It measures only 7.3 mm at its thinnest when unfolded and ships with a built-in kickstand and stylus support. Prices start at the equivalent of $3,740, and an eventual iPad Duo (or whatever Apple decides to name it) with similar design is likely to cost even more.

Kuo has said the foldable iPad is coming in 2028 with an 18 to 20-inch display when open. He also expects an ultrathin glass cover supplied exclusively by Corning, with GIS handling cutting, edge finishing, and inspection. Given the excellent job that Apple did with the iPhone Duo's nanotextured cover that can be peeled and replaced like a screen protector when the crease starts to deteriorate, that's what an iPad Duo may ultimately ship with.

Bloomberg's Gurman has described the device as two iPad minis placed side by side, which suggests a book-style hinge like the one on the iPhone Duo. Kuo has also put shipments at up to 1 million units in 2028. That number reveals that, just like with the iPhone Duo, which didn't have nearly enough units produced to meet the overwhelming demand, Apple does not seem to be chasing volume with the alleged iPad Duo.

A tablet this large, built around a fragile folding screen, will almost certainly land well above the price of the iPad Pro that is currently discounted on Amazon. The iPhone Duo already costs around $2,000, and a screen this big will only add to the bill.

The software question matters just as much, too. A device this size needs more than a stretched iPadOS, and many expect Apple to lean on a more desktop-like experience to justify the form factor. Huawei, for instance, had its HarmonyOS tuned for its giant 18-inch foldable tablet. An iPad Duo of sorts may thus be more than a year from launch, but it is encouraging to see that Apple may be benchmarking it against the most advanced foldable tablet available at the moment.

Daniel Zlatev - Senior Tech Writer - 2272 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021

Wooed by tech since the industrial espionage of Apple computers and the times of pixelized Nintendos, Daniel went and opened a gaming club when personal computers and consoles were still an expensive rarity. Nowadays, fascination is not with specs and speed but rather the lifestyle that computers in our pocket, house, and car have shoehorned us in, from the infinite scroll and the privacy hazards to authenticating every bit and move of our existence.