Insiders say the project, once pegged for a 2028 launch, is now unlikely to see daylight before 2029 if it ever arrives at all.
The device, reportedly costing around $3,000 (€2,785), has been in the works for years. But Apple’s engineers are struggling with several headaches, including the tablet’s weight, display complexity, and feature design.
Sources told Bloomberg that current prototypes tip the scales at roughly 3.5 pounds, about the same as a MacBook Pro, double the weight of today’s iPad Pro models.
Job’s Mob is said to be working with Samsung Display on an 18-inch foldable OLED panel that minimises creases, a design trick the company plans to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. The tablet, codenamed J312, reportedly folds inward without an external display and looks more like a metal-clad MacBook when shut.
It is part of a wider effort by Apple to inject some excitement back into its tired tablet lineup. The firm recently unveiled its first new iPhone design in years, the ultra-thin $999 Air, and is still tinkering with other gadgets including smart glasses and a tabletop robot assistant.
Building a foldable display this large, however, has not come cheap. The estimated cost is roughly three times that of a 13-inch iPad Pro, putting the project dangerously close to niche territory.
Even Huawei managed to beat Apple to the punch with its MateBook Fold, an 18-inch foldable tablet launched earlier this year that costs $3,400 (€3,160) and weighs a pound less.
Insiders say some engineers are openly sceptical the foldable iPad will ever ship. The device’s size and similarity to Huawei’s product, combined with Apple’s recent habit of quietly axing long-running projects, has led to doubts inside Cupertino’s halls.
Job’s Mob is no stranger to such about-faces. Its much-hyped autonomous car programme was canned last year after nearly a decade in development, and just weeks ago the company shelved a cheaper Vision Pro headset variant, known internally as N100, leaving staffers blindsided.
For now, Apple’s iPad business is hardly booming. Though sales are forecast to tick up this year, revenue remains far below the 2021 peak. The company has refreshed the iPad Pro with its new M5 chip, while updated Air and base models are expected in early 2026. But those are mere spec bumps, not the kind of reinvention the brand desperately needs.
A foldable iPad might have been that reinvention, a device bold enough to make tablets exciting again. But as it stands, Job’s Mob’s next big thing seems to be folding under pressure.