A Foldable Apple Powerhouse: My Dream All-in-One Device

I know Apple loves its product ecosystem. I also know they’d rather sell me three different devices than one that replaces them all. But if they did decide to make my dream device, it would be a portable, foldable, all-in-one powerhouse that fits seamlessly into my setup.

Think iPhone when closed, iPad Mini when unfolded, and Mac when docked — without all the usual trade-offs.

The Device: A Pocketable iPad That Becomes a Desktop

A device that looks like a standard iPhone but unfolds into something closer to an iPad Mini. But it doesn’t stop there — dock it, and it transforms into a desktop workstation with boosted performance and full external display and peripheral support.

Key Features

Portability: Small enough to fit in my pocket when folded. It would function like any other iPhone

Tablet Mode: Expands into a larger display for browsing, sketching handwritten notes, or reading.

Desktop Mode: When docked, it gets a power boost and connects to peripherals. Which brings me to…

Gaming-Ready: Extra GPU/CPU power kicks in when docked — maybe even enough for Apple Arcade titles that don’t feel like mobile games. Apple has been trying to push into the AAA gaming market in recent years… maybe this would help.

It sounds too good to be true because it probably is.

How I’d Use It (a.k.a. Why I Want It So Badly)

The real reason I want this device isn’t just because it sounds cool — it’s because it would actually fit very well into my daily life. Both personal and professional.

Morning Work: Dock it at my desk, plug into a monitor, and get a full macOS-like experience for coding, writing, or whatever else needs doing.

Lunch Break: Undock, head out with it in phone mode for calls, quick Slack replies, or scrolling news.

Tablet Mode for Downtime: While eating, unfold it into iPad size to read an article, watch a video, or take notes.

Evening Relaxation: Back at home, dock it again — this time for casual gaming with a controller, using that extra GPU power to make it something more than just a mobile device.

Pocketable Convenience: When I’m done, I just fold it back up and carry it like a regular iPhone — no extra bulk, no juggling multiple devices. No more carrying a backpack just to bring my iPad Mini with me places.

This would replace my iPhone, iPad Mini, and MacBook Air in one shot. Which, again, is exactly why Apple would never go for it.

Keep in mind the folded form factor could still work with things like the Backbone (affiliate link). I currently use one with my iPhone 16 Pro Max and it’s great. So the mobile-centric games could still benefit.

Why This Won’t Happen (But Should)

Let’s be honest — Apple isn’t exactly in the habit of consolidating their product lineup. If this device existed, it would cannibalize:

• The iPhone (because it would be an iPhone and more).

• The iPad Mini (because why buy one if your phone turns into it?).

• The Mac Mini/MacBook Air (because Desktop Mode replaces both, in some cases).

Apple loves its segmentation. They want you buying separate devices for separate needs, not an all-in-one solution that eats into their profits. Though, I do think power users like video editors, AI devs, etc. would still go for the standalone devices.

That said, if any company could pull this off without making it feel gimmicky, it’s Apple.

Does Anything Like This Exist?

A few companies have dabbled in similar ideas, but nothing quite nails it:

• Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold gets close with its phone-to-tablet flexibility, but Android tablets are still… Android tablets (in my opinion).
• Samsung DeX and Motorola’s Ready For let phones act like desktops when plugged in, but the experience is meh compared to an actual computer.
• Razer’s Project Linda tried turning a phone into a laptop, but I don’t think that it ever made it to market.

So no, nothing like this exists in general. I think if Apple made it, it would be polished and optimized in a way that the competition just doesn’t match.

Concerns: Will It Hold Up Over Time?

For a device like this to be my main everything-device, I’d need confidence that it won’t fall apart in two years. But, well…

• Flexible screens wear down faster than rigid ones.
• Heat from high performance + portability = potential long-term issues.
• It’s a perfect excuse for Apple to push AppleCare+ even harder.

That last point? Yeah, Apple would find a way to make sure we pay for durability. If this actually came to fruition, I wouldn’t mind.

Final Thoughts: Let Me Dream, Apple

I know this device is wildly impractical from a business standpoint, but it just makes too much sense for the end user. Instead of juggling multiple Apple devices, we could have one that adapts to how we use it throughout the day.

Will Apple ever make it? Unlikely…

Perhaps someone with better business acumen could figure out how much this thing would need to cost so that Apple wouldn’t mind cannibalizing some of their other product lines. Even then, I don’t think the device would be for everyone anyway. I think most people would like to keep their devices separate.

Would I pre-order it faster than I’ve ever ordered anything before? 100%.

What about you?

Would you ditch your current Apple setup for an all-in-one foldable, or do you prefer keeping your devices separate? And the real question — what do you think Apple would charge for this thing? Drop your guesses in the comments.