Apple’s first 50 years were just the beginning. Get ready for a wild 2026
Over the past two weeks, Apple, Macworld, and everyone else in the tech sphere have spent time celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary, looking not only at the company’s rich history, but also at our own past and how Apple played a role in it. It’s been great, but now it’s time to get down to business.
As you read this article, Apple is now 50 years and five days old (and counting). I point this out because, as diehards know, Apple is more interested in looking to the future than the past. So now that we’ve had time to recover from all the revelry, it’s time to prepare for the next 50 years of Apple. And he’s ready to go to a Really quick start.
While the MacBook Neo might have arrived just under the wire, in June Apple will preview the highly anticipated Siri redesign that is expected to ship with version 27 of its operating systems. As we all know (perhaps reluctantly), AI is the future of technology, and Apple has stumbled and derailed its Apple Intelligence plan. But AI will be the lifeblood of Apple (and all tech companies) for the next 50 years, so it needs to get on the right track. This will start at WWDC26.
Once the AI problem is solved, Apple will move to hardware versions, and it will be more than the usual iPhones and Macs. In September, Apple is expected to release its first foldable iPhone, which will also almost certainly be its most expensive iPhone ever. While all eyes will be on how Apple executes the hardware, the real key will be in the software and how Apple improves iOS so it can take advantage of the new form factor.
After that, perhaps in October, Apple would release a product we thought we’d never see: a touchscreen MacBook Pro. It will be radically different, and we’ll be looking for clues at WWDC26, if we can read between the lines (or in this case, the code) of macOS 27. Besides the touchscreen, the MacBook Pro is going to see a design overhaul in an effort to further differentiate the laptop from the MacBook Air and MacBook Neo.
Reports also indicate that Apple is planning to finally launch the smart home hub, or HomePad, which would serve as a central station for a smart home. This product relies on Siri, so again, WWDC26 could tell us a lot about what’s going on here. But the smart home market is one area where Apple could play a major role over the next 50 years.
This is exactly what we could see by the end of 2026. These are extremely important products because they form the basis of what Apple can do in the coming years and into the next 50.
Foundry
Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in one handy summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it pairs really well with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you also want to read it during lunch or dinner hours.
Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary
We chose the best products for Apple’s 50th anniversary:
Apple’s top 50 the most influential people of all time, ranked
Macworld’s Jason Snell looks back on his own history with Apple
THE Macalope wonders if success has made Apple better or worse
Apple gives 50th anniversary t-shirts, pins and posters to employees and welcomes Paul McCartney
These are both from longtime editor Roman Loyola favorite keynotes
Trending: Featured News
The latest from Apple Finder Guy Videos are more adorable than ever
Apple has reduced the price of Pro XDR Display per $400
Apple closed its doors digital payments in Russia
Researcher guy is back in a series of new TikTok videos
Podcast of the week
As Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary, we took inspiration from the latest Macworld podcast and spoke with former Macworld Editorial Director and current Macworld columnist Jason Snell. We talk about our favorite memories, the moments that defined the company, where it is now, and what to expect in the future.
You can watch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.
Reviews corner
Kensington EQ Pro Thunderbolt 5 Dock for MacBook
Mobile Pixels Trio 3 Pro
Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station
Abxylute M4
The rumor mill
The next new Siri maybe I can finally do two things at once
The iPhone 18 Pro small dynamic island shown in a Ispy shot
THE AirTag 2 I received a firmware update to change the unwanted tracking sound
Video of the week
Did you know that Apple’s original logo was very different from the one it uses today? All is revealed in our latest short film. Enjoy all our short videos on TikTok or Instagram.
Software updates, bugs and issues
THE iOS 26.5 beta has arrived, but where is the new Siri?
Rare iOS update extends critical DarkSword security patch to all phones
And with that, we’re done for this week’s apple breakfast. If you’d like to receive regular digests, sign up for our newsletters, including our new email from The Macalope – an irreverent and humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, Bluesky or X to discuss the latest Apple news. See you next Monday and stay Appley.
