Amazon is a company more famous for its e-commerce segment than for consumer electronics. Apparently they are planning a bold move in starting to manufacture foldable devices. Well-known analyst and insider Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Amazon is developing a large foldable screen device, a cross between a MacBook and a touchscreen iPad, which could come out by late 2026. If this timeline is anywhere close to being accurate, Amazon may beat Apple to the finish line in a product category that has long been considered the next frontier of mobile computing.
Apple has been speculated to be working on a foldable device with a tentative release date set somewhere between 2027 and 2028. If true, Amazon’s plans might shift the market forward—challenging the notion of who spearheads innovation when it comes to hardware.
Laptop That Is Foldable and Touchscreen-Based, But Lacks Keyboard
While specific details about the product remain scant, the device’s central features are likely to follow industry patterns: a laptop that is surgically removable from its keyboard. The device functions on a touch interface, thereby obliterating the lines between tablets and laptops both in structure and operation. The device has been articulated to be a blend between a MacBook and an iPad, which suggests greater emphasis on convenience, ease of use, direct engagement, and a wide variety of applications.
Kuo, who has a reliable history of accurately predicting developments in the consumer electronics field, remarked that Amazon is likely to commence mass production of its foldable device sometime between 2026 and 2027. This would place Amazon ahead of Apple in the timeline competition, making them an unexpected industry leader in the race for large-format foldables.
The Lack of Clarity in Amazon’s Approach Toward Consumer Technology
Amazon’s strategy, or lack thereof, remains ambiguous alongside other competitive concerns. Unlike Apple, Samsung, or Huawei, who are staples in the consumer electronics market, Amazon has not historically viewed gadget manufacturing as a primary business focus. While the company has enjoyed more than a modicum of success with Kindle e-readers, Echo smart speakers, and Fire TV streaming devices, it has not built a reputation as a major player in mobile or computing hardware.
This is part of what makes the foldable device news so surprising. Kuo points out that there is no reason to consider Amazon a hardware powerhouse, and its move into foldables may indicate a desire to fully embrace a significant deviation from their norm—or a conjectural gamble instead of a calculated, well-thought-out strategy.
An Industry Grows with Momentum
Mike Papageorge’s folding laptop prediction came true in September 2022, when Lenovo released a video on Weibo showcasing the ThinkPad X1 Fold, China’s first 16-inch foldable laptop. Huawei was quick to follow suit, introducing the MateBook Fold, a dual OLED-screen laptop that joins ASUS’s, Lenovo’s, HP’s, and other competitors’ offerings. Each of these companies is taking different strategies in attempting to tackle the foldable screen challenge.
The swift progression in the design of multifunctional laptops is an example of culmination in advanced and out-of-the-box innovations geared towards refining portable multifunctional laptops. What emerged as a controversial technology is growing into a niche that will influence a plethora of digital professionals and tech-savvy people who wish to utilize digital content in their profession and creation endeavors.
Apple Still Watching From the Sidelines
So far, Apple has not made any formal announcements, strongly focusing on further developing their existing products. Reports are abuzz suggesting a tablet-computer hybrid Apple device as a potential centerpiece of a foldable revolution that would incorporate a touch interface on a seamless display embedded on macOS software. Following Apple patterns, we can expect an entry later—likely accompanied by heavy marketing and a perfect finish.
Apple’s foldable phone is now forecasted to release in 2027 or 2028. This window provides companies like Amazon an opportunity to refine their devices and distract early adopters.
An Unlikely Challenger in a High-Stakes Race
It is not certain if Amazon’s venture into foldables is a single product or part of a larger strategy. However, if Kuo’s timeline is accurate, the firm could lead one of the most competitive segments in tech. In doing so, it would defy the longstanding notion of which companies truly drive innovation in consumer hardware.
The category of foldable devices could serve as the next front in a market increasingly characterized by versatility and portable immersive experiences. Amazon, often underestimated in the hardware market, may be poised to make a surprising move.
