Every company and their dog is trying to convince people that a folding device will be the next big thing. Apple is said to be preparing to release a MacBook with a 20-inch folding display in the next two decades. This could be an even bigger shift for the Mac if it goes well.

There are contents.

  • The iPhone X legacy
  • A huge risk

I think that a laptop with a folding screen could be the Mac's iPhone X moment, a product that completely resets an entire product line, not just for Apple, but for the entire industry. There is a lot at stake.

A concept visual of a foldable screen MacBook Folio.

We had heard before that Apple was working on a foldable laptop. The first report came from Ross Young and the second from Mark Gurman. Both said the device could come with a physical keyboard as well as an on-screen one.

The biggest MacBook changes in the last few years have been internal, including the introduction of Apple's own processors. The M1 chip was put inside the same MacBook Pro and MacBook Air as the old Intel model chips. This foldable MacBook is going to be different than its predecessors. You won't be able to ignore it.

The iPhone X legacy

Apple iPhone X Review
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The original iPhone gets a lot of attention, but Apple's first phone that didn't have a home button was an important moment for the industry. Everyone was trying to make an all-screen device that used gesture controls. Everyone else followed Apple's lead.

It could have an impact on the MacBook line. The Macbook is a mature device. Adding more ports improves the display there. The majority of its innovations are internal. It could be done with a big shake-up.

You know what would happen. There is a huge, foldable display that doesn't have a keyboard. It would allow the keyboard to be removed when you don't need it, giving you more screen real estate for the best Mac apps, games, movies, or anything else you want. It's possible to put a MacBook into a drawing pad. You could use the device completely differently.

There are similarities between the iPhone X and the iPad. The original iPhone had a physical keyboard but was constrained by the tech of the time and had a home button. Steve Jobs had a vision for theiPhone. It was able to give you more screen space and a virtual keyboard when you needed it. It sounds like the foldable MacBook could do the same thing.

A huge risk

Foldable Macbook concept image created by LunaDisplay.
LunaDisplay

There's a lot of risk involved. Losing the physical keyboard is a death blow if Apple misplaces it. One more thing to carry around with you is the rumor that Apple may include a separate keyboard with the device. It seems like a recipe for disaster.

There is a chance that there could be a bit of hope. An Apple invention is a glass keyboard that can be molded into keys. We would get the feeling of a physical keyboard and a giant display if Apple could incorporate it into the foldable MacBook. If Apple got it right, we would have our cake and eat it.

This whole device is a massive risk, but then again, so was the iPhone X, and that left an indelible mark on the smartphone industry that ensured that Apple remained the leader in innovation. Tim Cook is drooling over the possibility of repeating that with the Macbook line.

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