A foldable iPad Apple has been developing may not be released as an actual product and could end at the internal testing stage.

On April 27, online media outlet Gigazine reported that Mark Gurman, who is familiar with Apple’s internal situation, said the foldable iPad could remain “a strange experiment that ends without ever seeing the light of day.”

The expectation comes alongside Apple’s next product roadmap. Chief Executive Tim Cook is set to step down as CEO effective Sept. 1 and move to the role of chairman. Hardware engineering chief John Ternus will take over. Ternus, whose appointment as the next CEO was announced on April 20, is reported to be pushing to unveil Apple’s first foldable iPhone soon after taking office.

The key point is that the foldable iPad is not included in the next roadmap. The foldable iPad has been mentioned as “one of the top development priorities” during the period when Ternus led the hardware division. But multiple people involved in the development see the chances of a launch as low. Even if Apple enters the foldable market, the first product is increasingly likely to be an iPhone rather than an iPad.

Under Ternus, Apple is reported to be planning to enter about 10 new product categories within several years after the CEO change. Areas cited include AI-based smart home devices and wearables. Candidates include a smart home hub, a desktop robot and security devices, as well as smart glasses and a small pendant-type wearable. It is also reported to be preparing its first high-end MacBook with a touchscreen for release in late 2026 or early 2027.

By contrast, uncertainty around the foldable iPad has grown. Apple has not officially announced that it has halted development. Gurman did not explain the reasons in detail in the article, but he has previously pointed to weight, functionality and display technology issues as obstacles, while saying the device had been targeting a 2028 launch. At the time, there was also an expectation that the launch timing could slip to 2029 or later.

With technical challenges accumulating, the leadership transition has also emerged as a variable. AppleInsider mentioned that as Ternus must manage the entire company as CEO, he may have less time to devote to hardware projects. That is why changes in organisational management are also being cited as a reason the foldable iPad was excluded from the next core product line-up.

Apple’s foldable strategy is likely to be reshaped around the iPhone for the time being. Whether the foldable iPad becomes a foldable large-screen device or remains an internal prototype is expected to be determined by Apple’s future product schedule disclosures and hardware priorities.