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Apple iPads are displayed in a Costco warehouse, March 17, 2024, in Sheridan, Colo. (PHOTO \/ AP) Zalubowski)<\/p>\nApple iPads are displayed in a Costco warehouse, March 17, 2024, in Sheridan, Colo. (PHOTO \/ AP) Zalubowski)<\/p>\n
Apple Inc\u2019s effort to reinvent the iPad by adding a giant foldable screen has hit development hurdles, potentially delaying the planned launch.<\/p>\n
The company has been working on the device \u2014 projected to cost around $3,000 \u2014 for several years and had most recently aimed for a 2028 release. But engineering challenges tied to weight, features and display technology have pushed its potential debut to 2029 or later, according to people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
Apple is working with Samsung Display Co to develop the roughly 18-inch panel for the device, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work isn\u2019t public. The screen minimizes the crease seen on foldable displays, matching an approach that Apple is also using with its upcoming foldable iPhone.<\/p>\n
The iPad project is part of a broader push to bring more innovative devices to market. Apple just introduced its first new iPhone design in years \u2014 the ultrathin $999 Air model \u2014 and is working on everything from smart glasses to a tabletop robot device.<\/p>\n
Unlike the foldable iPhone, prototypes of the new tablet \u2014 internally code-named J312 \u2014 don\u2019t include an external display. When closed, the device resembles a Mac laptop, with an aluminum enclosure on both sides. When opened, it\u2019s about the size of a 13-inch laptop.<\/p>\n
Developing the technology for an 18-inch foldable display has proven especially complex and costly, pushing estimated prices to roughly triple that of a 13-inch iPad Pro. Like that model, the foldable tablet would use the OLED standard. The technology, short for organic light-emitting diode, allows for more vibrant graphics and thinner displays.<\/p>\n
Engineers are also concerned about the weight of current foldable iPad prototypes. While today\u2019s iPad Pro ranges from about 1 to 1.3 pounds depending on size, test units of the foldable product weigh around 3.5 pounds. That\u2019s roughly the same as a MacBook Pro.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.<\/p>\n
People involved in the project say the device is similar to Huawei Technologies Co\u2019s MateBook Fold, an 18-inch foldable tablet introduced by the Chinese technology giant in May. That product weighs about a pound less than Apple\u2019s current prototypes and sells for roughly $3,400, though it\u2019s only available in China.<\/p>\n