Apple is collaborating with LG to develop a foldable OLED display panel with ultra-thin cover glass for future iPad and MacBook models, according to a report from The Elec.
The report explains that LG Display will supply 17-inch foldable 4K OLED panels to HP this year, destined for an in-folding notebook with an 11-inch display when closed. LG Display has growing expertise in foldable OLED displays, having supplied the 13.3-inch display panel for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.
The Elec claims that alongside its foldable OLED notebook panel for HP, Apple is collaborating with LG Display "to develop another foldable OLED panel." This panel will purportedly use an ultra-thin cover glass instead of polyimide, which most other foldable displays currently use.
The report is the second dependable sign from Apple's supply chain that large foldable devices are in development, since The Elec's claim appears to line up with a recent report from display analyst Ross Young, which said that Apple is exploring all-screen foldable notebooks with displays around 20-inches in size.
Young said that these devices could form a whole new product category for Apple and result in a dual-use product, potentially able to work as a notebook with a full-size on-screen keyboard when folded and as a monitor when unfolded and used with an external keyboard. The devices feature 4K resolutions or higher at the size Apple is investigating, Young added.
While Young described the device as a "foldable notebook," it seemed plausible at the time that the all-screen device could actually be a foldable iPad Pro, and today's report from The Elec's clarifies that the display panel in development is suitable for both tablets and notebooks.
According to Young, the launch timeframe for Apple's foldable notebook is "likely later" than 2025, with 2026 or 2027 being floated as reasonable possibilities.
