Amazon's foldable laptop leak shifts Apple's rumored launch window

Phone Arena

21-05-2025

Huawei MateBook Fold. | Image credit – Huawei These past few days, we got a glimpse of what's coming soon – not way down the road, but stuff that feels like the near future. If you caught the Google I/O keynote, you probably saw what I mean: new AI tools for videos, smooth real-time translation, even something called Artificial Pokémon Intelligence and a bunch more cool tech.And on the hardware front, Huawei just dropped its MateBook Fold laptop, which has a folding screen. When open, you get a massive 18-inch display, but fold it up and it is about the size of a 13-inch laptop.
Apple might be cooking up something similar and now, another big player could be jumping in.
Amazon is reportedly developing its own foldable laptop. This project hasn't officially kicked off yet, but if all goes well, it could hit mass production by late 2026 or 2027. If that timeline holds, Amazon might actually beat Apple to market with this type of device.
Apple's competitors in the large-sized foldable device market may not be limited to Huawei. My research indicates that Amazon is also internally developing a similar product, which has not yet officially kicked off. If development progresses as planned, it is projected to enter… — 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 20, 2025 According to this latest leak, Apple's foldable laptop/tablet plans seem to be pushed back, now expected around 2027 or 2028, even though earlier rumors suggested a late 2026 or early 2027 launch.Of course, Apple rumors are almost always a mixed bag, so nothing's set in stone. But one thing's clear: Apple is definitely working on a foldable laptop. With Amazon jumping in, too, foldable laptops could really be the next big thing.No other details have leaked yet and one big question is what operating system Amazon will choose – Windows or Fire OS? The same goes for Apple – will it run macOS or iPadOS? We've got a while to wait before seeing these in real life, but expect more news as the timeline moves closer. Huawei, for example, went with its own HarmonyOS 5 for its foldable laptop. This is actually the first time Huawei is using its in-house OS on a PC. Originally, HarmonyOS launched on Android devices, but after losing access to Microsoft Windows back in March due to US sanctions, Huawei shifted to using its own system for laptops.Now, foldable laptops like Huawei's new model – and what Apple and Amazon's versions might end up looking like – definitely look sleek and stylish in pictures. But I'm not totally sold on how practical one will be – especially when it's folded. The full open-screen mode with a separate keyboard seems promising, but when folded, the software has to be flawless to avoid weird glitches from accidental touches or other issues. I'll need to try it myself to be sure, but for now, I'm still a bit on the fence about foldable laptops. What do you think?