Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.
There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.
M4 MacBook Air
Apple plans to refresh the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, updating them with more powerful M4 chips. Design changes are not expected, with the focus being on the chip refresh. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that new MacBook Air models are "coming soon," suggesting they are likely to arrive later in the spring. However, Apple's inventory of MacBook Air models is running low at its retail stores, indicating that refreshes for the devices could be just around the corner.
iPad Air
The iPad Air is set to get updated with either an M3 or M4 chip, and it could debut alongside a new lower-cost Magic Keyboard that Apple is developing for the more affordable iPad models. Some rumors have suggested the iPad Air will have the M3 chip that's a step behind the M4 in the iPad Pro, but Gurman said in January that Apple could opt for the M4 instead. A leaker who has provided reliable information in the past also said in January that the iPad Air 7 will use the M3 chip, not the M4 chip. No other major hardware or design changes are expected. Like new MacBook Air models, the iPad Air is said to be coming soon, according to Gurman.
Low-Cost iPad
Apple is believed to be working on an 11th-generation iPad with a faster chip and support for Wi-Fi 6E. The tablet is also expected to feature Apple's custom-designed C1 modem chip that just debuted in the iPhone 16e. Gurman has said the next low-cost iPad will use the A17 Pro chip – the same one that's in the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPad mini 7. The A17 Pro chip supports Apple Intelligence, so presumably that means the new iPad will come with at least 8GB of RAM, which is the minimum requirement for Apple's suite of AI features. Apple's supply chain began shipments of the new devices in December, according to one report.
Smart Home Command Center
Apple is working on a new Home accessory that is designed to serve as a central hub or "Command Center" for smart home management. Apple's upcoming iPad-like smart home accessory could be released as soon as early 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, he recently said that Apple might not be able to launch it until later in the year due to its reliance on features coming in iOS 18.4 and iOS 19. Kuo believes the device will not be released until the second or third quarter of 2025. In February, Gurman said that the smart home hub launch is "still months away."
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by Juli Clover
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week.
Past Launch Dates
Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports.
iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by Tim Hardwick
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
All the speculation about "a new member of the family" and "what it must mean!" -- "surely it's way more than just an entry level iPhone or Tim wouldn't hype it and Elon wouldn't retweet it ... right!??"
?
yeah -- it was just an overpriced, specifically gimped, parts bin phone meant to nudge you to buy an even more expensive one once you start analyzing the purchase
I wouldn't be surprised if they bumped the base iPad 11 back up to $449 to bum us out again. Or they can outdo my low expectations and put it at $499, maybe even $529.
No M4 Mac Studio this spring? It’s funny when they say the WDC is not an event for hardware announcements… and then they use it for announcing hardware.
