Apple’s Foldable 18-Inch iPad Delayed, Expected to Cost Over $4,000: Report

Apple’s long-rumoured foldable iPad has run into development problems, delaying its potential launch until 2029 or later, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Tuesday.

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Apple has struggled with engineering challenges tied to the device’s weight, features, and display technology. The company had originally aimed for a 2028 release but now expects the timeline to slip further.

Apple is reportedly working with Samsung Display on an 18-inch OLED panel designed to reduce the crease commonly seen on foldable screens—the same approach the company plans to use for its upcoming foldable iPhone.

Prototypes of the foldable iPad, code-named J312, are said to weigh around 3.5 pounds, roughly as much as a MacBook Pro and far heavier than the current iPad Pro lineup, which ranges from 1 to 1.3 pounds. The expected price sits around $3,000 US, or roughly $4,200 CAD, making it nearly three times the cost of the 13-inch iPad Pro.

Sources told Bloomberg the device resembles Huawei’s MateBook Fold, an 18-inch foldable tablet introduced earlier this year in China that costs about $3,400 US and weighs a pound less than Apple’s prototype.

While Apple hopes the foldable iPad will revive slowing tablet sales, some insiders remain uncertain whether it will ever reach consumers, given its cost, complexity, and similarity to existing products.

Last week, one analyst said Apple’s foldable iPhone might not be released until 2027. Back in the spring, another analyst said Apple’s foldable iPad might not enter production until 2026. This latest report from Gurman pushes the foldable iPad event further back to possibly 2029 or later, which is a huge timeframe.

I don’t know who needs an 18-inch foldable iPad, but it definitely won’t be consumers if the price tag is going to be starting at about $4,200 CAD. At that point, it better run full macOS and not the baby-like iPadOS.