You could make the case that we are not far off from a launch, and the writing is on the wall in the form of iOS 27 and macOS 27. Mark Gurman has put a finger on some new software tidbits that have us thinking Apple is making room for two types of devices it has been putting off for a while.
Why this matters for Apple
With a foldable, you give Apple something to go up against the competition that has been at it for years. A touch-capable MacBook would fill in a void when you put it side by side with Windows. In the end, it’s about growing the ecosystem and holding the line on premium pricing as things get more of a contest.
Then you have the Android side of things: Samsung, Google, OPPO, Honor – they’ve all put out a few versions of their foldables. And if you’ve had a Windows laptop in the last few years, you know what a touch screen is. For Apple to move into both in a short time would be a change of tune.
Software breadcrumbs in iOS 27 and macOS 27
According to Gurman, the betas for Apple’s platforms have some early mentions of hardware we haven’t seen yet. You can’t say for sure what it is, but it does look like they are getting ready for something that is a departure from the status quo.
Foldable iPhone hints
Take the new iPhone Mirroring on the Mac for instance. The app will now let you have much wider views, like you’d see on an open book-style phone. And in the iOS 27 code, you’ll find things like ‘foldState’ and ‘angleDegrees’, plus the means to handle more than one display. It’s a way of knowing where the hinge is and which way it’s facing.
At WWDC 2026, Apple made a point of ‘app adaptability’ and told developers to build for a range of sizes. Sure, it helps what we have, but it’s a no-brainer if a foldable with a boxier inside screen is in the works.
Some of the more telling bits we have so far:
– iPhone Mirroring that can be as wide as a tablet
– The use of ‘foldState’ and ‘angleDegrees’ in the code
– Being able to juggle multiple displays and orientations
– A lot of focus on apps that can be reconfigured
Touchscreen MacBook signs
On the Mac side, some of the new moves in macOS 27 only really make sense if you have a touch surface. We’re seeing pull-to-refresh, which is de rigueur on a phone or iPad. Sidecar has been given some room to interact with an iPad as a second screen, and it feels like a nudge in the direction of direct input.
Gurman also sees a rework of Siri search on the Mac, with a pill-shaped UI. He figures that kind of design might be the forerunner to a Dynamic Island on a future MacBook, as part of Apple’s effort to make everything on its devices feel the same.
What the timelines suggest
Word on the street is that the first foldable could come out with the iPhone 18 Pro line this year, if they can work out the kinks in production. Some are saying we’ll see a split: the foldable with the Pros in September and the more affordable ones in the spring after that.
When it comes to a touch MacBook, it’s a bit of a moving target. Some have it for later this year or 2027. There was also chatter about an OLED MacBook Pro with a touch screen before 2026 is out, and the changes in macOS 27 may be in service of that.
Here is a rundown of what we are looking at:
– Foldable iPhone in with the 18 Pros (September)
– Lower-cost iPhones (Spring next year)
– Touchscreen MacBook (late this year/early 2027)
– An OLED MacBook Pro with touch (before 2026 ends)
Competitive context and what to watch
Apple has a habit of giving developers a head start with tools, and any of these could be a red herring. But put together the UI, the developer notes and the code in 27, and it’s hard to write it off.
If there is to it, 2026 is when we might see Apple wade into some of the waters it has been watching. Keep an eye on how they are handling app design and gestures in macOS; it will be a good indicator of whether they are serious about a launch.
