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2025 is coming to an end and Apple stock is trading at pretty high levels. So far, the new iPhone 17 series, with the exception of the iPhone Air, has been a hit, with CEO Tim Cook describing demand for the iPhones as “exceeding expectations.” Apple is so confident that it’s predicting its December quarter results will be its best ever.
There are plenty of other reasons to be optimistic, including the continued strength of Apple’s M5-powered chips, the fantastic new AirPods Pro 3, and the recent all-time record for services revenue.
But Apple has also shown signs of trouble, including a recent series of high-profile departures and retirements. Apple’s former head of Apple Intelligence, John Giannandrea, resigned in December after much-publicized delays in the release of the new Siri, not to mention Apple was losing ground to OpenAI and Google Gemini.
Meta recently poached Apple’s former user interface design chief Alan Dye as Mark Zuckerberg looks to expand the company’s lead in smart glasses at a time when Apple is still struggling to sell its pricey Vision Pro. Google is also about to launch Android XR glasses.
“I don’t think 2026 is a make-or-break year for Apple, but I do think it’s going to be a more challenging year than 2025,” said Carolina Milanesi, president and principal analyst at Creative Strategies. “If they don’t deliver on the promise of artificial intelligence, they’re going to have challenges.”
So what will happen to Apple in 2026? Based on the rumored product line and my conversations with analysts and Apple watchers, this is a pivotal moment for one of the biggest brands in the world. This is something to look forward to.
iPhone Fold: Best-selling foldable phone ever?
Apple is known for being slow to enter new areas, including smartphones. But the arrival of Apple’s foldable device in 2026 is indeed very late.
As Samsung prepares Galaxy Z Fold 8, Apple is reportedly preparing to launch its first foldable phone in IThe phone folds. Still, analyst firm IDC says Apple will capture more than 20% of the market and more than a third of revenue in the coming year.
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“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the iPhone Fold immediately became the best-selling foldable phone of all time,” said Jason Snell, editor and former editorial director of Apple-centric site Six Colors. Mike World. His reasoning? Simple. “Because it’s an iPhone.”
While many consumers may be interested in the best foldable phone available so far, iPhone fans are mostly on the fence as they are unwilling to switch operating systems or exit the Apple ecosystem.
The iPhone Fold, meanwhile, is said to have some advantages over the competition, including a truly crease-free display and a large app library optimized for tablet-sized screens. There are millions of iPad apps that will work on day one, since the iPhone Fold will ostensibly be an iPad mini in your pocket.
The iPhone Fold is expected to have an external screen of 5.5 inches and an internal screen of 7.8 inches, and a fairly large battery capacity of 5,400 mAh. And it should be quite thin, as analysts liken the phone to two iPhone Airs connected by a hinge.
“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the iPhone Fold immediately becomes the best-selling folding phone of all time.”
—Jason Snell, editor of Six Colors
What about the price? Rumors surprise $2.400which will be $400 more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. But don’t underestimate the appetite of high-end iPhone shoppers who want to stand out.
“Ever since iPhone “Looking at their product line and iPhone revenue, I would say they haven’t found it yet.”
Super cheap MacBook
Since Apple retired the 12-inch MacBook in 2019, industry observers have been waiting for Apple to sell a super-affordable MacBook to compete with lower-cost Windows 11 laptops and high-end Chromebooks. We can finally achieve this goal in 2026.
There are rumors that Apple is developing a cheap MacBook, which may be priced as low as $599 or $699, using A-series chips. Technically, Apple already has a laptop in this price range, the MacBook M1 is still on sale at Walmart for $599, but it will be an entirely new design.
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The target audience is buyers who most want to surf the web, check email, and watch videos.
The system will reportedly feature a 13-inch display, an A18 Pro chip (the same as the iPhone 16 Pro model) and very long battery life. Apple may have a built-in advantage over rivals at a time when PC makers face memory shortages.
“I think we’re going to get some very cheap MacBooks this year as Apple is able to leverage its silicon advantage and the wild swings in memory prices throw some kind of curveball,” said Avi Greengart, founder and principal analyst at Techsponential. “Apple has such large volumes, and because they build the memory into the package rather than adding it separately, Apple could end up with a double pricing advantage.”
Get to know the HomePod Touch (or HomePad)
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No one really knows what the product will be called yet, but Apple is expected to launch a new smart home device that may be called HomePod Touch or HomePad. It will likely be released in the spring, to coincide with the launch of improved Siri.
According to reports, the device will have a 7-inch touch screen and run Apple’s new homeOS software. It will come preloaded with apps like Safari, Apple Music, Notes, Calendar, Photos, and Reminder. Widgets will reportedly become a core feature. Imagine an enhanced version of iPhone standby mode.
“No other brand is more trusted by consumers than Apple.”
——Carolina Milanesi, President and Principal Analyst, Creative Strategies
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the HomePod Touch will cost about $350 and come in two versions, one with a speaker base and another that can be fixed to the wall.
Apple will compete directly with the likes of Amazon and its Echo Show product line and Google’s Nest Hub Max. But how does Apple stand out? For one, the company’s reputation for security and privacy.
“No other brand is more trusted by consumers than Apple,” Milanesi said.
There’s also an argument to be made that the smart home displays in today’s homes aren’t all that smart. You probably have an Alexa- or Gemini-powered device in your home, but how often do you use it? Is it a pleasure to use? I happen to have the latest Echo Show 21 with Alexa+ built-in, and I tend not to use it for anything other than turning on the Christmas lights and asking about the weather.
“I don’t think anyone has really cracked it,” Snell said. “Alexa and Google Assistant in the home are not that great. So Apple has an opportunity here.”
But a lot depends on how smart the new Siri is and whether people want to talk to it.
Ruining the smart glasses party
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While the Apple Vision Pro was technically impressive, there’s no doubt that Apple’s $3,500 space computer was a commercial failure. For the masses, the headset is too heavy, too expensive, and doesn’t have enough killer apps to warrant regular use. The new Vision Pro M5 just adds a faster chip and a more comfortable strap.
Meta, meanwhile, has a sizable lead in smart glasses. The company has sold more than 2 million units, with sales tripling in the first half of 2025 (up 300%). Meta shows no signs of slowing down, launching the new Ray-Ban Meta gen 2 with a sharper camera, longer battery life, and improved multi-modal Meta AI.
“Obviously they missed the opportunity, right?” Snell asked. “Apple decided to build a visual product from the top down instead of the bottom up. I think they might be disgusted by the idea of AirPods as glasses. Which is a shame, right? Because they had all the parts to build the product, but they just didn’t build it. So I think in 2026 we’ll see that product.”
There are rumors that Apple will launch AI glasses by the end of 2026, but the release time may be delayed to 2027. The glasses will reportedly be AI-centric (relying heavily on the new Siri) and offer built-in speakers and cameras, but not a display — at least at first.
“The functionality of these products is centered around voice, camera and artificial intelligence, and it’s not out of the question that Apple could launch a pair of glasses specifically designed to do those things,” Greengart said. “They’re basically AirPods with a camera on your face. There’s no reason they can’t do that.”
The problem for Apple is that Meta and Google are already ahead in smart glasses with built-in displays. While the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display is pricey, it shows a lot of potential in this category because they can display useful information in your field of view, whether it’s route navigation, a photo viewfinder, or a recipe you want to follow. The wrist-worn neural band also makes navigating the interface fairly easy, although it’s another device that needs to be charged.
Google will launch Android XR glasses in 2026 with partners such as Samsung and Warby Parker. I’ve demoed them and was impressed with Gemini’s integration. You can do anything from asking what you can do with the ingredients in front of you to using generative AI to alter photos forward You even take them.
“Even without the best AI in the world, the use cases are there,” Greengart said. “But if you layer real AI capabilities and then combine that with your Android phone, that’s very powerful. So Apple needs to match that to have a competitive product.”
The new Siri—or bust
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If you sense a theme, you’re right. In order for some of these important new products to be successful – especially the HomePod with a display and smart glasses – Apple has to introduce a new Siri.
In fact, as early as when iPhone 1 was released in 2024, Apple promised to launch a smarter Siri6 line-up. While Apple offered some improvements, such as a more conversational Assistant, the biggest upgrades never materialized. These include on-screen content awareness, better understanding of personal context (“When does my mom’s flight land?”) and in-app actions via voice.
The new and improved Siri is expected to be launched in the spring of 2026, and although artificial intelligence is not yet the main driver of device sales, its development prospects are very promising.
“Apple has to deliver on its promises,” Milanesi said. She’s more concerned about Gemini than ChatGPT as a direct Apple competitor because the former has become “very good” and tied into core apps that iPhone users frequently use, such as Google Maps and Gmail.
“The lock-in in the Apple ecosystem is real. But if AI becomes part of your life and you start wanting to use stuff from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic or other companies, and Apple doesn’t have the same level of co-pilot, that could be a problem.”
—Avi Greengart, principal analyst at Techsponential
There are also reports that Apple may cooperate with Gemini to accelerate its own AI development, but no news has been announced yet.
Techsponential’s Greengart doesn’t see Google as a direct threat, but if Apple doesn’t perform well with the new Siri, Google could become a bigger threat.
“If Apple can’t respond, there’s a chance the Android ecosystem will slowly chip away at the iOS base from the get-go,” Greegnart said. “The lock-in in the Apple ecosystem is real. But if AI becomes part of your life and you start wanting to use stuff from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, or other companies, and Apple doesn’t have the same level of co-pilot, that could be a problem for Apple.”
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