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20-Inch MacBook With Nearly 'Crease-Free' Foldable Screen Rumored

I could also imagine a screen folded outwards by default, protected by a stylish magic-keyboard-screen-protector at all times, and whenever the keyboard is detached from the screen, this last will be already lit, and keyboard ready to be used.
Because honestly, I don't see a mac without a physical keyboard. Unless they start using those sci-fi kinda patents that let you "feel" the limits of the virtual keyboards via a micro electrical impulse ore some stuff like that.
So, it's gonna be THAT cool, or a physical keyboard.
 
kenny7 said:
How would this work? Where exactly would the screen fold?
Click to expand...
It would be something like this
1716475206245.jpeg
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
These kinds of rumors all point to the same concept: the market wants BIGGER mobile screens. Why are phones always trying to grow? Why are tablets always trying to grow? Here's a rumor about laptops trying to grow above existing norms. Why? Apparently the market wants BIGGER, not smaller. Where's the rumors about shrinking screen devices? There's hardly any. Why? Because the market doesn't seem to actually want smaller.

How do you deal with the apparent conflict of bigger vs. mobility? Screen must fold or roll or project or be virtualized. Apple just rolled out a pretty great version of the latter and there are many others that can do the same at lower resolutions. Others are experimenting with folds & rolls on phones, tablets and laptops already. Still others build in a projector to make a wall or other surfaces become the big monitor. Do searches to see examples.

In general, more screen R.E. is more desirable than less screen R.E. I type this on a 40" 5K2K ultra wide instead of a 27" or 32" near-square screen from the favored company. Why did I choose ultra-wide? One big reason was to have more screen R.E. than the old iMac 27" could offer. Now that I have it, there's no going back to 16:10/4:3 or only 27" screens.

Every foldable iPhone thread fills with the usual mix of "solution in search of a problem", "gimmicky", "why would anyone want", etc but iPhone fold will eventually arrive... and a huge benefit in it will be easy access to a much bigger screen when on the go without losing the pocket-ability when not in use. IMO: pretty much ALL apps are better on a bigger screen. We hate the concept now because Apple doesn't offer it yet... but- for YEARS- we hated phones with screens bigger than 3.5" and then 4" while Apple only sold those "perfect" screen sizes too. What's in your pocket now?

Personally, I'd like to see a mobile Mac with some kind of much larger screen option. I think my favorite crack at it would be a screen-less MB to pair with Vpro for a giant virtual screen at any size but it would be good to see Apple's cut at a physical fold/roll option too. I'm sure they would do it well. And I suspect we would suddenly be able to see problems in search of exactly that solution/the point of it/use cases galore/etc. overnight.
Click to expand...
Both bigger and smaller are solved with glasses. Going back about 30 years or so, there was once a diagram showing what a future gadget equipped person would have. The vision hasn't change - a watch with health monitoring, glasses with a screen, a big battery and data storage device, and cellular connectivity.

The market has never had a chance at smaller, really. Increased screen size meant bigger batteries and more powerful phones, which was necessary for power and memory hungry Android devices around 2010. Then that kicked off an arms race for bigger and more powerful. Until that ends, smaller will always mean compromised. Even the iPhone mini was compromised with no Pro version - and with the iPhone Plus likely going away, bigger didn't really win out either.
 
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Another form factor I envision is a screen that can fold exactly into two parts, but that don't touch each other. When folded, a super thin keyboard lies in between the folded screen.
On opening the screen, you can either start typing right away using only one half of the screen, or - when you have more room - you can take the keyboard off of the other half of the screen, place it on the desk, and unfold and adjust the screen in all its beauty.
 
I'm down for 20" but not for foldable things. I missed the 17". I wish Apple offered 17" 19" 21". The more the merrier lol
 
What if it was a 20 inch screen... folded in half at the 10 inch mark so that half of it is screen and half is a touchscreen keyboard and trackpad. That is what it is when used in folded config.

When the 20 inch screen is fully open and flat so that all 20 inches can be used as a view-screen, you bluetooth connect the magical keyboard to type, or you bluetooth connect your 7 inch iPhone and use it in landscape orientation as a touchscreen keyboard to type.
 
Iconoclysm said:
Both bigger and smaller are solved with glasses.
Click to expand...

Yes, but not everyone wants the "something on my face" option. I don't really see any fault at all in that kind of device but it's easy to see that even the hypothetical "regular glasses" device that is somehow able to be powered for lengths of time desirable to anyone is still wearing glasses when glasses are not generally needed. While regular glasses could better blend into to what we think of as publicly normal looks, I'm not so sure even regular glasses will be the best option for that technology.

Nevertheless, I agree. I think devices like Vpro that essentially virtualize the screen portion of computing tech devices are an excellent option for an ANY-size device, on the go. Much like a laptop, just pull it out and use it when you need to do some computing and then put it away when finished. No folds, no rolls, no projection (needing minimal light around it and a clear, blank target surface): it seems like the best of this group of 4 "ways." Yet, still, it is something "on a face"... creating opportunity for those who just can't stand the concept to potentially be buyers for bigger screens in other formats... like a laptop with a screen that can become 20+ inches through some kind of fold/roll setup.
 
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when will people realise that the foldable thing is DOA.
There isn't a single material that would allow you to have amazing design. The only way to make it great is to have a thicker device so the fold is more like a bend. (think paper bending)
That leaves no crease and you get nice and homogenous screen. (again, think like paper bending).

However, what would really be the point? The whole concept is flawed from the start.
Its more likely to have some form of Apple Vision Pro glasses in the future than foldable notebook. Even in iPad it doesn't make sense. In fact, not even iPhone.

This direction is DOA
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Yes, but not everyone wants the "something on my face" option. I don't really see any fault at all in that kind of device but it's easy to see that even the hypothetical "regular glasses" device that is somehow able to be powered for lengths of time desirable to anyone is still wearing glasses when glasses are not generally needed. While regular glasses could better blend into to what we think of as publicly normal looks, I'm not so sure even regular glasses will be the best option for that technology.

Nevertheless, I agree. I think devices like Vpro that essentially virtualize the screen portion of computing tech devices are an excellent option for an ANY-size device, on the go. Much like a laptop, just pull it out and use it when you need to do some computing and then put it away when finished. No folds, no rolls, no projection (needing minimal light around it and a clear, blank target surface): it seems like the best of this group of 4 "ways." Yet, still, it is something "on a face"... creating opportunity for those who just can't stand the concept to potentially be buyers for bigger screens in other formats... like a laptop with a screen that can become 20+ inches through some kind of fold/roll setup.
Click to expand...
10 years ago there is no way I would have worn a watch, so I at least know people could change their perspective. I still don't want to carry around a giant slab in my pocket, I'd sacrifice wearing glasses for that. Especially if the glasses didn't need a case and closed very small. Hell, maybe they could even fit inside the phone back cover...and charge up like Airpods.
 
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MacRumors said:


LG is aiming to begin mass production of display panels for a MacBook with a 20.2-inch or an 18.8-inch foldable screen in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to information shared today by Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

space-black-mbp.jpg

In a post on Medium, Kuo said Apple is aiming to make the foldable screen "as crease-free as possible," which will require the use of high-cost components. As a result, he said the foldable MacBook could be nearly as expensive as Apple's Vision Pro headset, which starts at $3,499. The 16-inch MacBook Pro currently starts at $2,499.

Kuo estimated that foldable MacBook shipments will exceed one million units in 2026, suggesting that the device will launch in around two years from now.

He expects the device to feature Apple's next-generation M5 chip, which has yet to be announced.

Kuo is one of three sources to have mentioned a 20-inch MacBook, alongside display industry analyst Ross Young and Korean website The Elec. However, there is no guarantee that the device progresses beyond the prototyping stage.

Article Link: 20-Inch MacBook With Nearly 'Crease-Free' Foldable Screen Rumored
Click to expand...
I can potentially see where this is going. A large iPad with MacOS (which a lot are craving), that folds 90°into a half iPad style keyboard and half screen. The keyboard can morph to reflect the special needs of individual apps. fold up all the way to carry, open all the way for a big ass tablet.
 
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Jarutais said:
I fail to understand how a Macbook with foldable screen would benefit the user experience...
Click to expand...
Not if the screen is attached to the keyboard. The screen will be too close to be useful, not to mention hunching over to view a 20" screen. Make the keyboard and display 2 separate pieces, I'd be interested.

Anyhow, I'm waiting on holographic projection screens for a portable computer.
iu
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Only until Apple rolls out something that folds... and then we'll suddenly see use cases and we'll magically recognize ideal uses for it, etc. Same with technology that Apple does not yet offer:
  • Before they do, we hate it/see no use for it/call it a gimmick/etc.
  • After they roll out an Apple version of it, "shut up and take my money."
In my roughly 20+ years of following the Appledom, I've seen this same movie what feels like about a hundred times.
Click to expand...

I mean, sure, but the continued negative reaction to the Vision Pro here isn't exactly evidence that Apple adopting a new tech makes everyone love it.

The people who do like it are the people who were enthusiastic about it from the get-go. Few have been "converted", from what I can see.

(I say this as someone who was not interested in the Vision Pro when the first rumors came out, still isn't interested in it, and wouldn't buy it even if it cost a fraction of the price).
 
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Iconoclysm said:
10 years ago there is no way I would have worn a watch, so I at least know people could change their perspective. I still don't want to carry around a giant slab in my pocket, I'd sacrifice wearing glasses for that. Especially if the glasses didn't need a case and closed very small. Hell, maybe they could even fit inside the phone back cover...and charge up like Airpods.
Click to expand...

Again, somewhat preaching to the choir here. All my life, I have worn watches... but still haven't embraced Apple Watch. I was even given one for Christmas but gave it back, knowing I wouldn't wear it. I prefer traditional watches. My mobile covers mobile computing functions well enough for me. Ironically, that's NOT iPhone but cellular iPad Mini 6, which doubles as my "phone" with VOIP app and buds because telephony is just an app... like a flashlight/map/compass is just an app too.

As to glasses vs. goggles, I have always been a Vpro fan from earliest rumor through launch. I think the product is great and hope the software will "catch up" to fully realize its potential. A bigger screen physical laptop is going to be a HEAVIER laptop. And why stop at 20" when 24" would be even more screen R.E.... and 30" > 24"? Etc.

Most of my own work is done on a desktop Mac or PC... both of which are attached to a 40" ultra-wide monitor. When I have to hit the road, I take that 16" MBpro and it is relatively miserable to be limited to so little screen R.E. vs. my own norm. 20" would be better than 16" (except for the weight) and 24" > 20" and 30" > 24" etc. (except for the weight). To make me happy, I'd want a 40" so that whether office or mobile, I have the same, expansive space. But can you imagine the weight of a traditional laptop with a 40" ultra-wide screen.

Vpro and similar resolves all of that. It's any size screen at a fixed amount of weight. I can imagine a Magic keyboard-like Mac (like the bottom half of a little MBair) being an accessory as a different kind of mobile Mac. Weight would be minimized and yet one could summon any size screen when they want to do some laptop-like work.

I'm less confident that the "regular glasses" hypothetical will be THE answer in this line of things. First off, it's still putting something on our face. And while it gets over angst about what strangers will think of us when we are using them by blending into with the norms of many people wearing glasses, it's also got huge technological hurdles of how to manage the daylight "leakage" and power without "the atrocious cord" to a battery, etc.

However, if the choice came down to 40" traditional laptop vs. 40" virtual laptop with goggles/glasses, I'd be all over the latter because the former would be too heavy to lug around.
 
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VisceralRealist said:
I mean, sure, but the continued negative reaction to the Vision Pro here isn't exactly evidence that Apple adopting a new tech makes everyone love it.

The people who do like it are the people who were enthusiastic about it from the get-go. Few have been "converted", from what I can see.

(I say this as someone who was not interested in the Vision Pro when the first rumors came out, still isn't interested in it, and wouldn't buy it even if it cost a fraction of the price).
Click to expand...

Obviously, there are rare(?) exceptions.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Again, somewhat preaching to the choir here. But all my life, I have worn watches... but still haven't embraced Apple Watch. I was even given one for Christmas but gave it back, knowing I wouldn't wear it. I prefer traditional watches. My mobile covers mobile computing functions well enough for me.

As to glasses vs. goggles, I have always been a Vpro fan from earliest rumor through launch. I think the product is great and hope the software will "catch up" to fully realize its potential. A bigger screen physical laptop is going to be a HEAVIER laptop. And why stop at 20" when 24" would be even more screen R.E.... and 30" > 24"?

Most of my own work is done on a desktop Mac or PC... both of which are attached to a 40" ultra wide monitor. When I have to hit the road, I take that 16" MBpro and it is relatively miserable to be limited to so little screen R.E. from my own norm. 20" would be better than 16" (except for the weight" 24" > 20" and 30" > 24" etc. (except for the weight). To make me happy, I'd want a 40" so that whether office or mobile, I have the same, expansive space. But can you imagine the weight of a traditional laptop with a 40" ultra-wide screen.

Vpro and similar resolves all of that. It's any size screen at a fixed amount of weight. I can imagine a Magic keyboard-like Mac (like the bottom half of a little MBair) being an accessory as a different kind of mobile Mac. Weight would be minimized and yet one could summon any size screen when they want to do some laptop-like work.

I'm less confident that the "regular glasses" hypothetical will be THE answer in this line of things. First off, it's still putting something on our face. And while it gets over angst about what strangers will think of us when we are using them by blending into with the norms of many people wearing glasses, it's also got huge technological hurdles of how to manage the daylight "leakage" and power without "the atrocious cord" to a battery, etc.

However, if the choice came down to 40" traditional laptop vs. 40" virtual laptop with goggles/glasses, I'd be all over the latter because the former would be too heavy to lug around.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm leaning into Vision Pro and VisionOS's interactive abilities when I say glasses. I'm simply talking about a display to replace a smartphone for now. So, Vision Pro to replace a laptop, Vision Glasses to replace a smartphone, I guess.

As my eyes get worse with age, no handheld display is enough, not even an iPad. I'm sure we'll have a solution to that problem in the next decade or so, though.
 
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