Apple's foldable iPad might have a feature iPhones haven't adopted yet
A new rumor suggests that Apple's mysterious folding tablet could get creative with Face ID.
📺 Apple is rumored to be working on a folding iPad, and it could measure 18.8 inches
🫥 A new report suggests the device will come with a new version of Face ID
🙈 Apple might hide all the sensors behind the screen
🤖 We know Apple has the patents and technology to make it work
📅 The tablet could launch in 2027 as a combination between an iPad and a MacBook
Apple has yet to release a device of its own with a foldable screen, but we expect the company to change that with the first foldable iPhone next year. Afterward, the tech giant is rumored to release a huge folding iPad, and rumor has it that it could come with a big Face ID upgrade that has yet to come to any iPhone.
According to Weibo leaker Digital chat station, Apple has a working prototype of its foldable tablet that comes with a huge 18.8-inch screen. The device will walk the line between an iPad and MacBook since a) it’ll be huge and b) it’s supposed to be pretty powerful. The real kicker, though? The Face ID setup.
Digital chat station says that the current “Foldable iPad Pro” prototype has Face ID built underneath the foldable screen. It uses a “metal superstructured lens” that integrates the necessary sensors and cameras needed for Face ID to work. We have never seen this kind of tech ship on an Apple product, let alone most other devices on the market. However, we’ve heard in the past that Apple has patents for under-display Face ID, so the chance of it being on whatever this foldable iPad turns out to be isn’t zero.
Thus far, the iPhone has stuck with cut-outs for Face ID sensors. There’s the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, while the iPhone 16e sticks with a full-blown notch. Meanwhile, the current iPad Pro comes with thick bezels around the display and houses the sensors in them. If the rumors are true and Apple doesn’t ditch the notch, bezels, or Dynamic Island on the iPhone in the next couple of years, this folding iPad/MacBook thing will be the first device to ship with under-display Face ID.
Full disclosure: this is just a prototype, and there’s no guarantee it’ll actually ship. That being said, Apple’s progress in this space is starting to amount to something. Rumors continue to indicate that a foldable iPad will arrive in the next couple of years, while a folding iPhone could arrive as early as next year. We’ll be watching for any developments on this topic closely, so stay tuned.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.