Folding touchscreen MacBook might come in two large sizes

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Apple is developing a MacBook with a folding touchscreen that might come with either a 20.25-inch or an 18.8-inch panel, according to a trusted analyst.

In addition to the size, it’ll have another immediately noticeable advantage over current foldable displays: eliminating the visible crease is reportedly one of Apple’s goals.

Two options for folding touchscreen MacBook?

After decades of making laptops that are improved versions of the groundbreaking PowerBook line in the early 1990s, Apple is reportedly ready to shake things up in a new ultra-premium line. The physical keyboard and trackpad are getting tossed out in favor of an all-touchscreen design.

Early leaks about a 20.25-inch MacBook have been popping up for over two years. And on Thursday Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst who follows Apple for TF International Securities, added a new wrinkle: a second size possibility.

“In addition to the 20.25” option, Apple is also considering using an 18.8″ panel instead,” said Kuo in a blog post. “The difference between these two sizes is their folded form factor, corresponding to the design of 14–15″ and 13–14″ laptops, respectively.”

It’s not yet clear if Apple is considering introducing a folding touchscreen MacBook in two sizes, or if it’s currently trying to decide which of these two options is better.

No screen crease allowed

Thursday’s leak makes it clear that Apple sees the obvious flaws in current foldable display: the crease. And it won’t tolerate one.

“Apple aims to make the panel as crease-free as possible,” said Kuo.

But it’ll add to the price. The larger panel will reportedly cost $600 to $650 while the smaller will be $200 to $250. As a result, Kuo warns that such an innovative device could be very expensive. Total cost for the folding MacBook might go over $3,000.

Folding MacBook in 2026 … maybe

The analyst says the foldable panel might go into production near the end of 2025 and assembly of the full computer could come in the first half of 2026. “This product is expected to use the M5 series processor,” said Kuo.

Apple supposedly expects to sell over a million units in the first year, a small percentage of total annual MacBook sales. But when Jeff Pu, an analyst with Haitong International Securities, talked about the 20-inch folding MacBook earlier in May, he predicted it wouldn’t supplant the current macOS models with traditional clamshell designs in Apple’s product lineup. The foldable will be for the “ultra-high-end market” willing to pay even higher prices for a cutting-edge computer.

If these unconfirmed reports prove true, the result will be a dream come true for many people: a touchscreen Mac. That will require significant changes to macOS, as it’s currently designed to be controlled with a cursor and keyboard.