Sources: Apple is working on a foldable device the size of two iPad Pros for 2028, a Magic Mouse revamp, and an AirTag with triple the range of the current one
Apple's new vision for the future of computing is a giant, iPad-like foldable device. Also: The company rethinks the mouse …
BloombergMark Gurman
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple's large-screen device plans build on reports of a full-screen foldable MacBook concept and on the iPad Pro's shift toward OLED displays and a more laptop-like keyboard. The new report places the effort in a broader attempt to stretch the iPad form factor rather than treat folding hardware as a standalone product category.
The mouse and tracker work makes this a wider refresh of Apple’s peripheral layer: a redesigned Magic Mouse would update a long-lived input device, while longer AirTag reach would improve the utility of Apple’s item-finding product.
First-order effects
Apple’s hardware and display teams must solve the usability, durability, and software-layout requirements of an iPad-scale folding screen before a 2028 target can become a product.
A Magic Mouse redesign and a claimed threefold AirTag range increase would directly refresh two existing Apple accessory experiences, affecting current mouse and tracker buyers first.
Second-order effects
A large foldable positioned around iPad Pro scale could force clearer product segmentation between iPad, Mac, and their accessories, especially after the iPad Pro’s major OLED-and-keyboard upgrade.
Suppliers supporting large displays, hinges, and tracker connectivity would face demand for different component capabilities if Apple advances these projects from development into shipping products.
Third-order effects
If Apple brings foldable hardware to a large-screen computing device, the market’s key question shifts from whether folding screens can ship to whether they create a durable new tier between tablets and laptops.
The concurrent accessory updates point to a longer hardware strategy in which input and location products are refreshed alongside core devices, reinforcing the value of the surrounding device ecosystem.
The trend: Apple is exploring a more tiered personal-computing lineup, pairing new screen form factors with iterative improvements to the accessories that make its devices more useful together.
Apple never learns from the failures of others. First, they ignored the failure of Samsung & Co's VR efforts and launched the Vision Pro. Now, they're attempting to create a foldable laptop, similar to the failed Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold. Amazing.
I really wish Apple would license out the cool Magic Mouse “gesture surface” tech to third-party mouse companies like Logitech. Apple's never going to make a mouse as ergonomic as like, an MX Vertical, which is fine, but I really want that smooth scrolling! [image]
It is my impression that much of Apple's current work on foldable screen technology is focused on this higher-end device, but it's also been exploring the idea of a foldable iPhone.
15 years after launching the Magic Mouse, Apple is working on a new mouse for the modern era. And, yes, moving the charging port is on its list. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Power On: Apple's new vision for computing is a giant foldable iPad that's the size of two iPad Pros side by side. Here are the details, when it'll arrive and what it means for the iPhone — https://www.bloomberg.com/...
As for when the mouse will arrive, don't expect it in the next 12-18 months. But the current Magic Mouse is nearing its end, and Apple is working on an overhaul. Once the design group settles on a final form, it will still take months of hardware/software development and ops work
Apple's AirTag 2 — coming next year — will have a new ultra-wide-band chip from the iPhone 15 to triple its finding range. https://www.bloomberg.com/...