Welcome 2026: Celebrate the New Year with Joy and Excitement!

A Year of Contradictions Wraps Up at Consomac

As the curtain falls on another year at Consomac, it leaves behind a scene of financial triumphs for Apple, evidenced by soaring stock values and a market capitalization exceeding $4 trillion by late October. However, these achievements came without significant technological fanfare, except for the iPhone Air—a remarkable technical showcase that unfortunately did not translate into strong sales.

Major Product Announcements of 2025

The year kicked off with the unveiling of the iPhone 16e on February 19th, during which Apple also discontinued the iPhone SE, 14, and 14 Plus globally, marking a complete shift from Lightning to USB-C standards. March 4th saw the introduction of the iPad A16 and iPad Air M3, followed by the Mac Studio M3 Ultra, M4 Max, and MacBook Air M4 the next day.

A delay was announced on March 7th for the expected 2026 updates to Siri, initially slated for release with Apple Intelligence in France, launched with iOS 18.4 on March 31. The World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9th revealed new operating systems featuring the new Liquid Glass interface across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, along with visionOS 26 which inspired the Liquid Glass concept. These systems were officially released on September 15th.

Following announcements came on September 9th with the iPhone 17 lineup and iPhone Air, three new watches including Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Ultra 3, and the AirPods Pro 3. October 15th marked the unveiling of Apple’s final hardware innovations for the year with the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5, iPad Pro M5, and Apple Vision Pro M5.

Incremental Innovations

The year’s releases heavily featured incremental upgrades, leveraging the impressive developments in Apple Silicon chips in terms of both power and variety. Notably, the introduction of the C1 modem and N1 chip, responsible for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, significantly boosted energy efficiency. However, on the software front, despite the buzz around Liquid Glass, Apple did not shine as brightly due to delays in Apple Intelligence.

The year was not devoid of excitement, though. Highlights included the launch of Apple Invitations on February 4, the acquisition of Pixelmator on February 11, the ongoing saga of U.S. tariff rights initiated by Donald Trump on April 3, a €500 million fine imposed by the EU on Apple under the DMA on April 23, the announcement of CarPlay Ultra on May 15, the Back to School offer on July 10, the reintroduction of the oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch in the US on August 14, the launch of Apple Sports in France on September 16, the renaming of Apple TV+ to simply Apple TV on October 13, the release of the iPhone Pocket on November 11, Black Friday events on the weekend of November 28, and the rollout of the AirPods translation feature in Europe on December 12.

What to Expect in 2026

The year 2026 is poised to be filled with excitement, starting with the expected launches of the MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max, and the iPhone 17e. Additionally, products like AirTags 2, HomePod mini 2, and Apple TV with A17 Pro chip were likely delayed from this autumn due to a U.S. government shutdown affecting FCC operations. A home automation display is anticipated in April alongside Siri updates, powered by a Google-provided AI model.

From spring to summer, we expect releases like the MacBook Air M5, a new entry-level MacBook, iMac M5, M5 generation Mac mini and Mac Studio, and a new Studio Display with Mini-LED and ProMotion. A new Pro Display XDR could also be on the horizon, and the Mac Pro might be discontinued. New tablets including the iPad A18 or A19, iPad Air M4, and a redesigned OLED iPad mini are likely, with the iPad Pro M6 possibly arriving at year-end.

After the unveiling of iOS 27 and macOS 27 at WWDC in June, September should bring the first batch of the iPhone 18 series. Apple might change its strategy this year with a staggered launch, introducing the standard iPhone 18 in spring 2027 alongside the iPhone 18e and possibly iPhone Air 2, starting with the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the first-ever folding iPhone model in September. For the Apple Watch, expect the Series 12 and Ultra 4, but no new entry-level model.

Towards the end of the year, Apple might introduce a dedicated FaceTime camera and debut camera-equipped smart glasses without a display. The timeline for the MacBook Pro M6 remains uncertain; an ambitious redesign with touch OLED screens is planned for the M6 Pro and M6 Max models, possibly arriving slightly after the 14-inch M6 model retaining the current design. Apple might follow the pattern set by the M5 generation, with the entry-level model launching in late 2026 and high-end models in early 2027.

Continued Coverage

As has been the case for the past twenty-one years, we will continue to provide daily updates, dissect announcements, analyze rumors, and leaks throughout the upcoming year. For now, it’s time to conclude this lengthy article by wishing you a wonderful New Year’s Eve followed by a joyful and prosperous 2026!