4 New Apple Products That Might Be Coming Sooner Than You Think

It's not every year Apple enters a new product category. Most recently, the company dipped its toes into the mixed reality world with Apple Vision Pro in 2023. Before that, Apple joined the item tracker field with AirTag in 2021 as well as the wireless earbuds market in 2016 with the AirPods.

Apple is typically very careful about entering a new market and creating a whole ecosystem with new products. While one could also mention the HomePod release in 2018. The truth is that none of these devices (AirPods aside) have been life changing like the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac.

The company might change that in 2026. It's expected to expand into three different categories with four new products. Apple could unveil its long-rumored smart home hub, a smart doorbell, a foldable iPhone, and its first augmented reality glasses to compete with Meta and several other brands. With over 20 products expected to be released this year, it seems 2026 won't be anything like other years: Apple is going all in with several new products, alongside its ever-growing service offerings, such as the new Apple Creator Studio.

According to rumors, Apple has delayed the introduction of this upcoming smart home hub, which some reports call the "HomePad." This mix of a HomePod-like speaker with an iPad tablet was supposed to arrive in March of 2025, but the device was postponed due to its reliance on the all-new Siri (also expected to launch with iOS 18.4 and also delayed).

This new version, powered by Google's Gemini models, is expected later this year. We might see the launch of the HomePad in the next few weeks alongside the new iOS. According to DigiTimes, this device will have a 6-inch or 7-inch square display and will make use of Apple's A18 chip. 

Powered by Apple Intelligence, it will rely on the company's App Intents API through which the produce can control apps and features seamlessly. This device is expected to offer similar functionality to other smart home hubs, so you can easily control other smart devices in your place, play music, ask questions about a recipe, and even call your family and friends on FaceTime. Apple is also rumored to be working on a more premium version described as a tabletop robot with a mechanical arm. Expect to see that model unveiled in 2027 at a premium price-point.

Bloomberg also reports Apple is working on a smart doorbell to follow its smart home hub. This device is expected to be one of several smart home products Apple has been plotting. This device accessory will distinguish itself form competitors, touting a better integration between the smart home hub and the rest of its ecosystem. In addition, this smart doorbell could include the same technology unveiled by Aqara at CES 2026, which offers the ability to unlock the door without taking the iPhone out of your pocket thanks to its ultra-wide band chip inside.

Since Apple uses a proprietary Secure Enclave system when storing sensitive data, this could be one of the main features of this doorbell. Not much else is known about this product, and it's still unclear how Apple's new smart home strategy will play out, but this product will likely join the new Apple TV and HomePod releases as well.

Almost seven years after Samsung revealed its first foldable, Apple might finally be ready to unveil its first iteration of a similar foldable device. After years of rumors, the company is expected to enter the foldable category in late 2026 with an announcement likley forthcoming during the next iPhone event. The company is rumored to be postponing the release of the iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 to early 2027. Instead, Apple will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable device.

Expect a 5.3-inch outer display and a 7.7-inch inner screen. Apple will offer a crease-free experience thanks to new technology supplied by Samsung. With a dual-camera system and one front-facing camera, the new device will also resurrect Touch ID in place of Face ID recognition.

Other rumors add that the iPhone Fold will look like two iPhone Airs glued together. It's unclear if this device will be able to create an all-new category of Apple devices or if it could end up cannibalizing the iPhone 18 Pro devices. The issue, per the rumors, is that Apple is going to charge more for the iPhone Fold, but it won't have all the best features like the iPhone 18 Pro devices.

The rumor mill reached a fever pitch around Apple's mixed reality efforts, allegedly a first step toward its ultimate goal of introducing AR glasses. Reports call this technology Tim Cook's greatest legacy, and it certainly seems the company intends for this device to better compete with Meta Ray-Bans right off the bat.

According to Bloomberg, Apple's first-generation AR glasses will be similar to what other companies offer. The glasses are expected to have speakers for music playback (Apple will probably tout Spatial Audio in some capacity), cameras for capturing images, and voice control with the all new Siri. However, in-lens displays for true AR content are not expected in the first generation.

While Apple might be planning to add some health sensors to this device, it's unclear what the company will be able to unveil. At CES 2026, smart glasses company L'Atitude unveiled a prototype of runner glasses with built-in health sensors that sit on the nose. Apple could follow a similar path, or combine the sensors already present on the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3. Even though we still need to learn more about these glasses, Apple might reveal them later this year, but don't expect to buy a pair until 2027.