Apple's first foldable computer gets display power efficiency improvements in new leak

Apple is said to be working on its first foldable device, a large 18.8-inch display that runs macOS. While there has been no information from the company itself, rumors and leaks have been doing the rounds and the latest is that the device will be much more efficient than previously believed. This comes as a result of Apple allegedly reducing the display integrated circuit to a smaller and more efficient one, without sacrificing performance. 

If leaker Phone Chip Expert’s Weibo post is to be believed, Apple’s upcoming foldable device has achieved higher power efficiency. The display driver IC, which was initially said to be 28nm, has been reduced to 16nm, making the display a lot more power efficient, without any loss in performance. No more information was shared by the leaker. However, the post was a response to another stating that Apple’s two folding devices have entered Foxconn’s product introduction stage and that mass production is expected to start in the second half of 2026.

The company is said to unveil this folding device, the so-called 'MacBook Fold', soon. It will be the first touchscreen device that runs macOS and it would be interesting to see how macOS has been tweaked to respond to touch inputs.

As mentioned earlier, Apple has not shared any information on the foldable device and this piece of information should be taken with a pinch of salt. With this production timeline, industry analysts predict the device could launch in late 2026 or early 2027, though Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman predicts a 2028 release.