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It’s hard to believe we’ve come to the end of 2025 already. I feel like I say something similar every December, but 2025 has been a particularly frenetic year for tech reviewers like myself.
This is mainly because Android phone launches have been relentless. It’s a lovely problem to have, but it also means that time has moved at an even faster pace while we try to cover, well… everything.
It also forces me to think about Apple and what they have – and haven’t – achieved this year. I think few would argue that 2025 has been anything but an iterative year for Apple in terms of product updates. The Mac has been left untouched, bar chip updates to the MacBook lineup, and we’re still waiting for the next Apple TV.
Thankfully, the iPhone Air and the brilliantly orange Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro series made for quite the tech creator narrative on my side of the fence, but I understand if you want a bit more from Tim and co. next year.
Good news – I think 2026 is going to be a big year for Apple in terms of significant product introductions and updates.
This is what I want to see.
1. A foldable iPhone
It’s going to happen, isn’t it?
Without wanting to lean too heavily on the ever-unreliable rumour mill, all signs do appear to be pointing towards Apple finally launching a foldable iPhone next year.
I’ve tested and reviewed most of the latest Android foldable devices, and they are fascinating products. They’re expensive but mesmerising, and they all suffer from a few issues.
There’s the crease. It doesn’t bother me, but it’s a showstopper for some. Then, there’s the foldable Achilles heel, which is the fact that these devices really have to tempt you to continually open up that big internal display. I have no data to back this up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if most foldable owners spend more time using their expensive mobile telephone in its traditional, folded manner. Those front displays have become so good and so capable that there really are limited reasons to ever open the damn things.
Related: Read my Samsung Z Fold 7 review!
That said, the Z Fold7 is one of my favourite smartphones ever, and with Samsung being Apple’s biggest competitor, surely it’s time for Cook to deliver his hammer blow to that market. If Apple can solve the aforementioned foldable challenges, then it’ll make for an even more fascinating battle.
2. A significant update to the Apple Watch Ultra
I’ve received a bit of stick on YouToob for suggesting that Apple needs to significantly update the Apple Watch Ultra, but I stand firm by that opinion.
I’ve tested most of its competitors, and they all offer better battery life (with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra). For me, that’s the main update we need next year, but it has to be significant. I want a week’s worth of battery life from my next Apple Watch Ultra. No one has given me an acceptable reason thus far as to why that isn’t possible.
I’d also like it to look a bit different, too. I know Apple is highly unlikely to ever release a circular version of its smartwatch, but the Ultra is due for an updated design of some description, and an injection of colour.
Imagine a Cosmic Orange Apple Watch Ultra.
Take my money now, Tim.
3. A renewed focus on Home stuff
We have a big HomePod in our kitchen, and it is, without a doubt, one of the most infuriating pieces of tech we have in the house.
Related: Apple HomePod review
It listens to us when it feels like it. It complains about not having access to the internet when every other device is connected just fine. When it does listen, it often fails to give an answer or refers us to an internet search. And sometimes, all we’re asking for is a timer for our eggs. I’m not making that up.
It’s a crying shame, because the HomePod sounds and looks fantastic. It’s just not smart. At all. It doesn’t even feel part of the Apple ecosystem.
But there’s more.
We switched wholesale from Sky TV to the Apple TV around three years ago, and while we’ve never looked back, our Apple TV box is starting to feel a bit long in the tooth. The UI is at times sluggish, and we experience fairly regular glitches with certain apps.
Apple seems to care about the home. It just feels like the devices it makes that are intended specifically for the home are getting the least attention. In 2026, we need to see the promised supercharged Apple Intelligence version of Siri baked fully into both the HomePod and the Apple TV. Along with some new hardware.
4. A big iMac
I’ve not talked about this for ages, and I’m fairly sure that most of my audience has given up requesting it, too.
This may simply be because I’ve not covered the iMac on my YouTube channel for quite a while, but that’s for good reason: Apple’s all-in-one hasn’t received much attention bar iterative spec upgrades over the last couple of years.
Whenever I have covered it in the past, there has been a barrage of demands for an Apple Silicon-powered replacement for the retired 27-inch Intel iMac. And my response has always been the same: I’ve never thought Apple would do it. For them, the combination of the Mac mini and the Studio Display has already replaced the need for a big iMac.
Find out the best iMac for you!
Now, I’m not so sure. The Studio Display came out in March 2022. That’s over three years without any kind of update. In that time, we’ve had multiple Mac minis, including the introduction of the brilliant M4 Mac mini last year. This suggests to me that Apple may not have fully settled on that particular combo as the only big-screen Mac experience.
I have nothing to back this up other than a hunch, but I get the feeling we might see a rather large update to the iMac in 2026.
5. A continued desire NOT to get bogged down with AI
I’ve made my feelings very clear about consumer-facing AI stuff.
It bores me to tears, and I find very little use for it. The impact it’s having on human creativity also deeply bothers me.
This doesn’t mean that I think it’s pointless, or that you shouldn’t be using it, or that tech companies should be lambasted for investing so much time in AI, but it does neatly illustrate how I feel about Apple Intelligence.
Apple messed up. They were late to the post with their version of AI, and, as a result, it was plagued with issues (both technical and PR-related) when it eventually arrived in beta form. They are still significantly behind Google and Samsung as a result, and I couldn’t care one bit.
In fact, suggesting that they’re behind the competition is, on reflection, a bit churlish. Maybe they aren’t. Maybe the fact that I wish there was less of a focus on AI during product launches is indicative of how many others feel. And, because of that, perhaps Apple is doing exactly the right thing with its AI strategy.
More: iPhone 17 Pro Max review
Apple admitted that it had dropped the ball with the launch schedule for Apple Intelligence, and it quickly moved on. Subsequent product launches mentioned Apple Intelligence, but only in passing and in more of an “and, obviously, this thing is compatible with Apple Intelligence” fashion.
That’s good by me. Because, as a result, we got a far more interesting iPhone launch that focused on product design and hardware. I think this trend will continue across Apple’s entire offering next year. It’s not a case of sweeping anything under the carpet, either – it’s a clear indication that Apple is far more interested in its products and what they mean for real users than it is in maintaining a front seat on the AI bandwagon.
No complaints here.
Final thought
Will any of the above come true? I think so. I’m not asking for the world, and I’m equally cognisant of the fact that Apple is one of the most cautious brands out there when it comes to hitting us with massive product updates.
Regardless, 2026 does feel like it’s going to be a pivotal year for Apple and its fanbase. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store, but I’d also love to know what you think is coming next year.
Get involved in the comments!
