Are folding computers the future of laptops? Probably not, at least not for many years until prices drop to acceptable levels. Manufacturers are in the starting blocks, as we saw this week with Huawei's Matebook Fold, a folding laptop as thin as a smartphone (but without Windows).
This barely emerging market segment is also said to be of interest to Apple: a folding MacBook has been rumored for many months (which may be confused with a folding iPad). The Cupertino manufacturer is said to have an 18.8-inch device in mind, with a launch more or less planned for late 2027/early 2028.
Another, more surprising contender is also said to be in the running. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Amazon is developing a similar device: "If development progresses as planned, it should enter mass production in late 2026 or 2027."
Unfortunately, the well-known Apple analyst doesn't provide any technical details about this mysterious device, nor the operating system that will be used. Huawei's is using HarmonyOS, but Amazon could choose Windows... or its future Vega OS?
The advantage of Amazon entering such a market is that production volumes would be quite large: this should lower prices for consumers. It remains to be seen what Amazon will want to do in this market. While the e-commerce giant already has a foothold in the tablet, e-reader, smart speaker, and streaming box sectors, it's never been seen in the more traditional computer space.
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