With more than a dozen new Apple products in the pipeline, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy and important year for the company. Among a plethora of high-profile device launches, we should see the first folding iPhone next year
If all the rumors prove true, Apple’s 2026 product road map looks bold, exciting and ambitious. Check out all the new products Apple likely will launch in 2026.
15 new products to expect from Apple in 2026
From refreshed Macs and iPads to long-overdue updates to some of its accessories, rumors indicate Apple will upgrade almost its entire product lineup in 2026. All the new devices will deliver better performance and gain useful real-world features or improvements. And that’s just from a hardware viewpoint.
On the software front, 2026 could be even bigger. The long-awaited AI-powered Siri should finally debut with iOS 26.4 in March or April. And with iOS 27 later in the year, the company could roll out smarter and more mature Apple Intelligence features.
Table of contents: 15 new products to expect from Apple in 2026
- Affordable MacBook
- M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros
- M5 Ultra Mac Studio
- M5 Mac mini
- Apple Studio Display 2
- iPhone 17e
- AirTag 2
- M4 iPad Air
- Home hub (possibly called “HomePad”)
- New Apple TV and HomePod mini 2
- iPad 12
- Foldable iPhone
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
- iPad mini 8
- Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
1. Affordable MacBook
While Apple has several products lined up for launch in the first half of 2026, the rumored low-cost MacBook will probably steal the show. It will be the company’s most affordable MacBook yet.
Multiple reports claim the laptop will sport an A19 Pro chipset and a 13-inch display. It will supposedly debut in an array of bright colors, such as blue, pink and yellow.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that Apple’s rumored entry into the budget laptop segment has PC makers freaking out.
2. M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pros
The M5 Pro- and M5 Max-equipped MacBook Pros reportedly will be among Apple’s first major product launches of 2026.
If the M5-powered MacBook Pro and iPad Pro are anything to go by, the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips should deliver amazing performance. More importantly, the high-end M5 processors will bring a major boost to AI processing, with each GPU core featuring a Neural accelerator.
The M5 chip boosted AI performance by three to five times compared to the M4. The M5 Pro and Max should fare even better with their additional CPU and GPU cores.
3. M5 Ultra Mac Studio
Apple’s most powerful Mac could receive a much-deserved upgrade in the first half of 2026. Besides an M5 Max variant of the Mac Studio, Apple might launch an M5 Ultra version this year, featuring an ungodly number of CPU and GPU cores.
The Ultra chip would exclusively make its way to the Mac Studio, as the company has largely written off the Mac Pro.
With its massive compute and neural capabilities, the M5 Ultra should place Apple’s top-tier Mac among the fastest personal computers available, especially for AI and machine learning workloads.
4. M5 Mac mini
Apple’s little wonder, the Mac mini, should get a minor spec bump to M5 and M5 Pro chips this year. There’s no clear release timeframe, but the refresh should arrive in the first half of 2026.
With the M4 Mac mini introducing a new design, the M5 refresh should be all about an internal chip upgrade.
5. Apple Studio Display 2
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac/ChatGPT
Apple has not upgraded its external monitor lineup in years. But multiple reports and leaks indicate this will finally change in 2026. References to Apple’s next-gen Studio Display point to major upgrades, including High Dynamic Range support, a 120Hz refresh rate and a faster A19 chip.
These upgrades should enhance the viewing experience on the 27-inch monitor.
6. iPhone 17e
Next year, Apple is seemingly on track to unveil its successor to the iPhone 16e, the most affordable member of the iPhone 16 family. Beyond faster internals, likely driven by an A19 chip upgrade, the iPhone 17e might ditch the notch in favor of Dynamic Island. That change would bring its design in line with other iPhones.
With soaring RAM and NAND prices and tariffs, Apple’s biggest challenge will be to maintain the same $599 price for the iPhone 17e as the current model.
7. AirTag 2
Photo: Daniel Romero/Unsplash License
Apple launched the AirTag way back in 2021 and, while it took a while, the tracking tag is easily among the company’s sleeper hits. With its fifth anniversary coming up, the AirTag is long overdue for an upgrade.
References found in an internal iOS 26 build suggest AirTag 2 will offer enhanced Precision Finding and improved tracking support when the tag is moving. An upgraded Ultra Wideband chip should bring other improvements, including better tracking accuracy in crowded places.
Other rumored tweaks will focus on a smoother pairing process and more reliable reporting of the tracker’s remaining battery level.
The rumor mill once pegged AirTag 2 for a 2025 launch, but that timeline has clearly slipped. Now, all signs point to Apple introducing the second-generation tracker sometime in the first half of 2026.
8. M4 iPad Air
The iPad Air should receive its usual yearly spec bump in 2026, ditching the M3 chip in favor of the M4. It’s unlikely to pack any other changes, except for the switch to Apple’s N1 networking chip for handling Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The tablet will likely launch sometime in the first half of the year.
9. Smart home hub, possibly called ‘HomePad’
AI image: Google Gemini
Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub might finally see the light of day in early 2026. It was reportedly on track for a 2025 launch, but setbacks tied to the smarter Siri‘s rollout forced Apple to delay it.
Apparently, the device (code-named J490) will feature Face ID and a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Apple reportedly will deliver two models: one that can be wall-mounted (code-named J491), and another that looks like a HomePod mini with a display mounted on top (code-named J490).
Apple reportedly plans to price the smart home display at around $350. (More info: Why you’ll want Apple’s ‘HomePad’ smart home hub.)
10. New Apple TV and HomePod mini 2
Apple should refresh the Apple TV set-top box and the HomePod mini in early 2026. The changes will mostly be internal, with both devices getting a faster chip and switching to the company’s in-house N1 networking chip.
11. iPad 12
Like the upcoming Apple TV and HomePod mini 2, Apple’s next budget iPad refresh will focus solely on internal improvements. References in an internal iOS 26 build point to the tablet using an A19 chip — the processor found in the iPhone 17. This should bring a noticeable leap in performance (and enable Apple Intelligence support).
Similar to its other upcoming devices, the iPad 12 will also presumably use Apple’s in-house N1 chip to deliver better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance.
12. Foldable iPhone
AI image: chatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple’s most anticipated product of 2026 is its first foldable iPhone. The company’s belated entry into the segment should reshape the product category, giving foldables a major push toward mainstream consumer adoption.
More importantly, a foldable iPhone would affirm that foldables are here to stay — that they are finally ready to go mainstream and are not just an experimental form factor.
Rumors indicate the first foldable iPhone will sport a 7.58-inch inner screen and a 5.38-inch cover display. When folded, the device could be smaller than a regular iPhone. And unfolding it will unveil a display roughly the size of an iPad mini.
Apple will use its learnings from 2025’s iPhone Air to make the foldable iPhone as slim as possible. It reportedly will use a new crease-free OLED screen supplied by Samsung.
13. iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
The first folding iPhone might steal the show, but Apple will also debut the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max next September alongside it. And if the rumors prove accurate, these Pro models are shaping up to be anything but incremental updates.
Apple will reportedly move Face ID below the display, while the rear camera could gain a variable aperture lens to better control how much light reaches the sensor.
The A20 chip will seemingly use TSMC’s new wafer-packaging technology to deliver big gains in performance and efficiency. The iPhone 18 Pro lineup may also mark a major milestone by becoming the first Pro Phones to ship with Apple’s in-house C-series modem.
What about iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2?
In a move to spread iPhone launches across the year, Apple might not launch the regular iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and foldable iPhone. Instead, the rumor mill says the company will shake up the iPhone launch schedule and unveil those models in the first half of 2027.
14. iPad mini 8
Apple’s next iPad mini refresh could bring bigger changes than expected. Reports suggest Apple will switch the compact tablet to an OLED display, delivering a significant upgrade in contrast, brightness and overall viewing quality.
On the performance side, the iPad mini could get a substantial boost, with Apple planning on using either the A19 Pro or the upcoming A20 chip.
However, don’t expect the iPad mini 8 to debut before late 2026.
15. Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
Apple should unveil the Apple Watch Series 12 in September 2026, sticking to its yearly refresh cycle. As for changes, the rumors at this point don’t indicate we should expect anything radical.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 remains uncertain for 2026. Even if Apple does announce a new Ultra model next year, it might not bring any transformative improvements.
Other Apple devices coming in 2026?
Apple could always spring a surprise and launch one or two other products that have not leaked yet. At the same time, expect some upcoming Apple devices to cost more than their predecessors, as tariffs, NAND and RAM shortages and rising component costs continue to eat into the company’s profit margins.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
