This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: the latest rumors on Siri’s AI upgrades, foldable iPad and iPhone models, and next year’s A20 chips.
Siri progress raising ‘concerns’ among internal iOS 26.4 testers
Over the weekend, Mark Gurman reported at Bloomberg on what he’s hearing regarding the progress of Siri’s long-awaited AI upgrades. He writes that there are concerns from people testing iOS 26.4 — the OS version slated to include the new Siri — about the voice assistant’s performance.
No other details were shared, just speculation that Apple’s AI divisions will see major shake-ups if Siri doesn’t meet expectations.
My takeaways
Siri’s AI delays have certainly been frustrating, and I’m concerned about what all of the internal AI team departures are doing to Apple’s prospects here. But those things aside, I’d be pretty surprised if Siri’s iOS 26.4 features end up having big performance issues.
Not only has Apple chosen to take significant time trying to get things right, but reporting indicates the company is concurrently testing its own large language models (LLMs) against third-party alternatives to power the new Siri features. Even if Apple’s own models come up short, I’m confident that with third-party backing, Siri’s upgrades should turn out fine.
Foldable iPad with 18-inch display and ultra-premium price
Mark Gurman reported this week that development on a new 18-inch foldable iPad device is taking longer than expected. Gurman says the new device is projected to cost around $3,000, but the previous 2028 launch target now looks more like 2029 instead.
Unlike the upcoming foldable iPhone, this iPad won’t feature an external display. Instead, it will look like a MacBook from the outside and open to reveal its extra-large 18-inch screen.
My takeaways
It’s hard not to take this report with a huge grain of salt. A 2028 target being pushed to 2029? That’s so far away, I can’t imagine these dates holding up. And the projected $3,000 cost similarly feels like the kind of detail that may change drastically in the next several years.
That said, what I found interesting about the report is the details on form factor. Rumors have long called this a MacBook-iPad hybrid, and it’s easy to see why. If the device looks like a MacBook from the outside but is all-screen inside, then is it really an iPad or Mac? It all depends on the OS it runs.
Since touch support is expected to finally debut on the Mac next year, who knows what the state of macOS and iPadOS will be by the time 2029 arrives.
iPhone Fold’s smaller-than-expected screen sizes and possible delay
Analysts from Japanese firm Mizuho Securities shared this week that next year’s foldable iPhone will have slightly smaller displays than we previously expected:
- Outer display: 5.38 inches
- Inner display: 7.58 inches
Mizuho also believes Apple might be at risk of delaying the iPhone Fold, or having constrained supply at launch, due to ongoing issues around finalizing the design specifications.
My takeaways
Previous rumors indicated the foldable iPhone would have 5.5-inch and 7.8-inch displays, respectively. These revised numbers don’t necessarily make the device less appealing to me, but I do wonder if each might feel smaller than what users want.
Regarding the launch timeline, I don’t think being supply-constrained at launch is a big problem. For a product expected to cost at or over $2,000, I almost think the iPhone Fold being a hot, hard-to-get commodity at launch will serve Apple better in the long run than having abundant supply.
A20 chip costs and lineup
We received a pair of reports this week related to the A20 chip line coming to Apple’s iPhone 18 next year.
First, China Times reports that the new 2-nanometer fabrication process being used for A20 has created significant costs for TSMC, and thus prices for partners like Apple are expected to rise at least 50% over previous chips.
Second, Weibo leaker Mobile Phone Chip Expert wrote that Apple plans to have two A20 chip versions, like usual. The A20 Pro will be included in iPhone 18 Pro and foldable iPhone models — with no mention made of iPhone Air 2.
My takeaways
Due to the new 2-nanometer process, the A20 chip line could offer more significant gains than the average year-over-year upgrade. It’s not unusual for such advancements to bring costs higher.
The bigger question is: will Apple pass along those increases to users? I suspect for the base iPhone 18 it will, but I don’t expect any other models to get price hikes.
Your thoughts?
What are your takeaways from this week’s rumors on the foldable iPhone and iPad, Siri, and the A20 chip? Let us know in the comments below.
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https://9to5mac.com/2025/10/23/rumor-replay-siri-update-new-foldable-iphone-and-ipad-a20-chip/
