Apple just wrapped up a very exciting week of announcements – starting off with iPhone 17e, and ending with MacBook Neo. While we did get 7 new products this week, theres still a fair bit in the pipeline for the near future. We’ll be delving into those.
Mac
For the most part, Apple cleared the deck when it comes to the Mac lineup. Seeing Apple announce both the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR last week was certainly a bit of a surprise – on top of the M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro.
That said, there’s still more to come: Apple should be releasing an M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio in the near term future. In the February 22nd edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the new Mac Studio is on track for the first half of 2026.
Further down the road, Apple should be releasing a refreshed Mac mini and iMac, potentially with M6 chips. And of course, expect the redesigned MacBook Pro with M6 Pro and M6 Max around October.
iPad
This week, Apple announced the refreshed iPad Air with M4 chip. There was another rumored announcement that never came to fruition though: the budget iPad.
Apple was rumored to update its low-cost iPad with an A18 chip this week, but that never materialized. It’ll likely come in the first half of the year still, but details are unclear.
No iPad Pro refresh is anticipated for 2026, but Apple is working on a new revamped iPad mini with OLED and A19 Pro, set to launch sometime in the fall.
Home
Apple has three major home products in the pipeline: a refreshed Apple TV, a refreshed HomePod mini, and an all new smart home display – which many refer to as HomePad.
The updated version of the Apple TV 4K should incorporate an A17 Pro chip. This’ll mean it’ll be able to support Apple Intelligence. It should also include Apple’s new in-house N1 networking chip.
As for HomePod mini, it’ll come with a newer chipset (current model includes the S5 chip), and it’ll likely come in some new colors, including red. This’ll mark the first HomePod mini refresh in over five years.
The biggest announcement of the bunch is likely going to be the new smart home display. It’ll incorporate an A18 chip, a 7-inch display, and it’ll become the ultimate smart home hub for HomeKit and interacting with Siri.
It’s been on the back burner for a little bit while Apple sorts out its AI-infused Siri, but it should debut this year – hopefully.
September launches
Leading into September, Apple will unveil new flagship iPhones, Apple Watches, and potentially AirPods.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max should debut with new color options (potentially red), improved cameras, and slightly bigger batteries. Apple will also introduce its first foldable iPhone.
As for the rest of the iPhone lineup, Apple might not introduce the base iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 until spring 2027 – as part of a strategy to stagger iPhone release cycles.
Top comment by K
I feel like we’ve been expecting the Apple TV refresh long enough that they will have bumped the chip in it to at least an A18.
Also, the iPad Pro is interesting to me. Thinking about it, it kind of seems like they’ve hit peak design with it. I can’t see them changing it much because it’s already so good. About the only thing they may do is to narrow the bezels when they put the camera and Face ID under the screen. And I suppose they may make a folding iPad but that’s pretty meh to me and who knows if they’d do it on the Pro line. And when it’s already going to be fairly big folded I don’t think there’s much reason for that.
Looking forward to finally seeing these new smart home products. It seems like they’ll never come out. 😵💫
Apple will also introduce Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. We don’t know a ton quite yet, but expect new health sensors, potentially support for Touch ID, and better battery life.
Lastly, Apple may debut a pair of AirPods Pro 3 with cameras. These’ll tap into Apple’s visual intelligence tech, and the idea is that you’ll be able to talk to Siri about your surroundings.
My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
- Anker Ultra-Slim MagSafe Battery Pack
- AirPods Pro 3 (2x ANC vs AirPods Pro 2!)
- Anker Nano 45W Fast Charger with Smart Display
- Anker Prime 3-in-1 25W Compact MagSafe Charger
- Logitech MX Master 4 Mouse for Mac
- AirTag 2 4-pack (50% improved Precision Finding!)
- Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand for iPhone
- MOFT MagSafe Kickstand Wallet for iPhone
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