Rumors from Apple’s next big iPhone event, which might include an iPhone 11 Pro, new Apple Watch ceramic and titanium models, an update to the cheaper iPhone XR, and more.
Apple added an OLED display to the iPad Pro in 2024, and Apple Insider points out this ET News report suggesting the Air could be next, in the first half of 2027. A rumor last year from Bloomberg, however, suggested it would come after an OLED iPad Mini upgrade in 2026.
[Apple Insider]
The next big product category Apple is supposedly tackling is display-free smart glasses to rival Meta’s. But the design has yet to be locked in, according to Cupertino whisperer Mark Gurman. The company might launch some or all four of the designs under consideration:
A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook
Larger oval or circular frames
A smaller, more refined oval or circular option
We knew Apple would let people hook Siri into the chatbot of their choice. But the latest installment of Mark Gurman’s Power On hints at something bigger. The company is “opening Siri and Apple Intelligence to third-party services.” Extensions will have a dedicated App Store section, making it hard to believe Apple will stop at just a couple of chatbots.
A cornerstone of this strategy is the upcoming iOS 27 Extensions feature, which will let users install third-party AI chatbots beyond ChatGPT and run them inside Siri. This feature will have its own dedicated App Store section, effectively creating an AI App Store. It will be a marketplace of sorts for third-party AI integrations.
MacBook will get more touch-friendly before 2026 is out, and there’s supposedly a foldable 18-inch iPad in the works, but Apple has no intention of merging the two product lines anytime soon. Execs have remained steadfast in their dedication to keeping the two things separate. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman:
The company argues that it produces better devices by separating the categories, but there’s also a business consideration. Internally, executives believe that a hybrid plan would hurt sales. Apple generates roughly $30 billion annually from each category, adding up to $61.7 billion last year. That’s a hugely material slice of its overall business.
Rumors of an Apple product launch event next week look confirmed, now that Tim Cook is posting about a “big week ahead,” with a short video clip of someone swiping around Apple’s logo. So, new MacBook Pros, probably some new iPads, and maybe the rumored iPhone 17e?
We’ll find out soon.
Mark Gurman says in the latest edition of the Power On newsletter that the slightly spec-bumped MacBook Pros (not the touchscreen OLED models) should launch as part of the macOS 26.3 release cycle. That means he expects them to hit shelves before the end of March.
All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips. I’m told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from February through March. Another sign that an upgrade is coming: Supply of the current high-end MacBook Pro models has tightened significantly in Apple’s online store.
It’s unclear if Jon Prosser — Apple rumor monger and target of that Cupertino lawsuit — has his own sources, or is just regurgitating as fact reporting already done by the likes of Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo. Nevertheless, this video is a good summary of where rumors of the foldable iPhone have coalesced, less than a year before its supposed release.
After a string of exec departures from Apple, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported a few days ago that Srouji, who oversees the chips that have helped iPhones, Macs, and other devices lead their categories, had discussed leaving for another company.
Today, Gurman reports the exec sought to calm employees, sending a message to his division that said “I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
Last week, rumors started flying that Tim Cook might step down as CEO next year and be replaced by John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering. Well, Bloomberg’s Marc Gurman says, not so fast. He claims those reports are simply false, and that while the company is certainly planning for Cook’s eventual retirement, it’s unlikely to happen in 2026.
Gurman:
Yes, Apple will eventually have a new leader. And, yes, it’s probably Ternus. But unless there is some unexpected event that forces Cook to step down sooner than planned, that moment is not at hand.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company doesn’t see the high-end desktop as a key part of its lineup. It hasn’t been updated with any regularity since 2013, moving to Apple silicon belatedly in 2023 with the M2 Ultra. Over two years later, it remains unchanged. Gurman says not to expect a significant update in 2026 either, with the M4 Ultra chip and its corresponding Mac Pro model being cancelled.
Apple has largely written off the Mac Pro. The sentiment internally is that the Mac Studio now represents both the present and future of Apple’s professional desktop strategy.
Don’t expect a foldable iPad to quickly follow Apple’s lightly refreshed M5 iPad Pro, as the project is reportedly delayed, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
His sources indicate that, unlike the rumored foldable iPhone, the $3k Mac-like tablet is tied up in development issues, around its weight, features, and OLED display.
Another tidbit from Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter further explores the rumor he’s reported about Apple shifting resources from a Vision Pro follow-up to something more like Meta’s Ray-Ban Display:
The smart glasses are also likely to run the Vision Pro’s operating system, visionOS... A future device could operate the full version of the OS when it’s paired with a Mac, and then switch to a lighter, more mobile-friendly interface when it’s linked to an iPhone, I’m told.
In his latest installment of the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman claims that it’s “likely” the base model M5 MacBook Pro will hit Apple stores this week. He expects them to be announced alongside M5 iPad Pros and a slightly updated Vision Pro.
CNBC reports Seemour maker Prompt AI is in late-stage talks over an acquihire by Apple, “likely” joining the Apple Home division.
Seemour’s ambient intelligence (more on that topic here) promised alerts and summaries of action caught on camera feeds, which could be useful for Apple’s rumored security camera and HomeScreenPod.
Here’s our first look at what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman calls “a pricey, high-end cross-body strap that has been a priority of the company’s design team.” It attaches to the bottom of Apple’s TechWoven cases that hold the latest iPhones — all expected to be announced tomorrow.
