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Two brand new 2026 products could prove Apple’s ‘not first, but best’ motto

Apple will launch a lot of new products next year, including updated iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more. But there are two brand new 2026 products coming that have the chance to prove Apple’s “not first, but best” mantra once again.

iPhone Fold and Apple Glasses: Two new products debuting years after competitors

iPhone Fold render

Out of the many new products Apple is expected to unveil in 2026, two stand out as especially unique:

  1. iPhone Fold / Ultra
  2. Apple Glasses

Rumors around a foldable iPhone have been around for many years. Samsung launched its first foldable all the way back in 2019, so unsurprisingly speculation about Apple’s version has been rampant since then.

But next year, all signs indicate the iPhone Fold will finally arrive.

A second product, Apple Glasses, similarly has a lengthy track record of rumors.

Apple has hinted for years that it wants to offer glasses as a new wearable product. But until recently, the expectation was for AR glasses. That’s what Apple Vision Pro has been seen as a precursor to.

But what we’ll get instead, at least for now, is AI-powered smart glasses.

Apple Glasses AI

In both cases, Apple’s longtime mantra of ”not first, but best” could be proven once again.

iPhone Fold is rumored to have a crease-free design, sleek iPhone Air-inspired materials like titanium, and have special iOS 27 multitasking upgrades.

Apple Glasses rumors say the new wearable will integrate tightly with the iPhone and Apple ecosystem, benefit from the new AI-supercharged Siri, and build on the strengths of AirPods, silicon miniaturization, and more.

There’s no guarantee Apple will be able to beat the competition. But despite the head start that other players like Samsung, Google, and Meta have on the company, the foldable phone and smart glasses markets are still fairly niche.

If Apple can deliver on its “not first, but best” promise with each product, the timing seems right for iPhone Fold and Apple Glasses to help make each product category truly mainstream.

Are you interested in Apple’s first foldable iPhone or new Glasses product? What advantages do you think they’ll have? Let us know in the comments.

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Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.