I think 2026 is going to be a banner year for Apple with the tech giant releasing the most new and/or updated products in its history.
Following is what I think we’ll see next year. I won’t call them predictions since rumors of all the products mentioned have bounced around for months. Instead, I’ll offer my two cents on when they’ll actually arrive.
Spring
I think spring will be a super-busy time for Apple with 9-10 products being rolled out — although probably not all at once.
The big arrival will be the “HomePad” in late spring. That is, if the long-awaited “more personalized” Siri is ready by then. In appearance it will be a full-size HomePod with a display.
The device is expected to use sensors to determine how close a user is. Here’s 9to5Mac has said about a HomePad:
° The device will be powered by an A18 processor.
° It has a squarish display rather than an iPad-ish rectangular design.
° It has a built-in camera that works for FaceTime and other video conferencing apps.
° The device uses the camera to identify hand gestures from a distance.
However, the device I’m most looking forward to is an “Apple Studio Display Pro.” Previous rumors have said that Apple plans a “pro” version of the current Studio Display that would offer ProMotion support in a 27-inch (or bigger) monitor. The current Studio Display lacks support for ProMotion, which is Apple’s name for the adaptive, high refresh rate, 120Hz display first available on the iPad Pro.
While a standard refresh rate will update a display 60 times a second (60Hz), the ProMotion’s adaptive 120Hz screen works at twice this speed. This results in smoother scrolling, improved responsiveness and better gaming performance.
A Studio Display Pro would likely utilize mini-LED technology with the most notable design change is to switch the material of the mini-LED backplane from the PCB found in current Apple products to glass. The benefits of adopting a glass backplane include a thinner panel thickness, a narrower bezel, an extended product lifespan, etc.
I think Apple will release a 27-inch model (a Studio Display model) AND a 32-inch model (the Studio Display Pro). However, I don’t think we’ll see an updated 6K Pro Display XDR anytime soon (if ever).
Updated MacBook Pros will likely arrive in March or April, if not before. There will be no design changes, but they’ll be upgraded with M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
Spring should also see an updated Apple TV set-top box and new versions of the HomePod mini. Both should sport an Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip. Apple hasn’t updated the set-top box since 2022. The new version is likely to keep the same designs, bout could be offered at a lower price of $99. The second-generation HomePod mini will likely be offered in some new color options and sport a S10 processor.
Other possibilities for the spring are an Apple-made security camera and doorbell. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman the security camera will have facial recognition and infrared sensors to determine who is in a room. Apple believes users will place cameras throughout their home to help with automation. That could mean turning lights off when someone leaves a room or automatically playing music liked by a particular family member.
Gurman thinks an Apple smart doorbell will also have advanced facial recognition that wirelessly connects to a deadbolt lock. The idea is that the doorbell could automatically unlock the door for a home’s residents by scanning their face — just like Face ID lets them into their iPhone.
The first half of 2026 should also see the arrival of an OLED iPad mini, new AirTags, and an iPhone 17e. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirTag will integrate with the Vision Pro headset as part of a spatial computing ecosystem. It could also have a much longer tracking range thanks to the inclusion of a second gen Ultra Wideband chip.
Summer
Apple will preview its anticipated smart glasses (likely dubbed “Apple Glasses) at its June Worldwide Developer Conference. Apple Glasses at WWDC, but they won’t arrive until spring 2027. And of course, we’ll see macOS 27, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27 previewed at WWDC. They’ll arrive in the fall for end users.
Fall
Unless Apple breaks with tradition (and I don’t think it will) the September-October time frame will be the time for new Apple smartphones to be unveiled. We’ll see the iPhone 18 line-up and Apple’s first “foldable” iPhone: the “iPhone Fold.”
Apple does plan a second gen iPhone Air. However, I don’t think it will arrive until the first half of 2027. The “regular” iPhone updates, an “iPhone Fold,” and a new iPhone Air might just be too many new/updated smartphones to unveil at once.
Fall will also bring an Apple Watch Series 11. However, I don’t think we’ll see an Apple Watch Ultra 4 this year.
I do think we’ll see an iPad Pro with M6 processor, though some pundits say it won’t arrive until 2027.
The big news (at least for me) is a redesigned MacBook Pro with M6 processor, cellular connectivity, and a touch screen. There’s been talk it won’t arrive until 2027, but I think we’ll see it this year, though it could be November before it lands.
Beyond 2026
In addition to the arrival of Apple Glasses, I think 2027 will also be the year when Apple unveils a line of robots.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
