We’ve already heard that 2026 is likely to be a busy year for Apple product launches, with rumors of a shake-up to the iPhone launch schedule too, and now we may have a little more clarity over when some of these devices are launching.
According to analyst Jeff Pu at GF Securities (via MacRumors), Apple is going to launch both a cheaper MacBook and a cheaper iPhone early next year. We’ll apparently get a 12th-gen iPad around the same time, too.
That cheaper MacBook has been previously rumored, and it would put Apple laptops within the reach of people on lower budgets. It’s thought that the price could be around $599 in the US – the most affordable MacBook you can currently get from Apple brand new is the $999 / £999 / AU$1,599 MacBook Air.
Pu says the new Apple laptop will have a 13-inch display, use the A18 Pro chipset introduced with the 2024 iPhone 16 Pro, and be available in silver, blue, pink, and yellow, which all fits in with earlier rumors.
Phones and tablets
As for the more affordable iPhone, it’s expected to be the iPhone 17e, following on from the iPhone 16e that Apple introduced to the world in February 2025. The starting price is again expected to be around the $599 / £599 / AU$999 mark.
Pu predicts that a lot of the specs will remain unchanged, though there will be a faster A19 chipset inside, an 18-megapixel selfie camera supporting Center Stage that always keeps you in shot, and a switch to Apple’s new C1 modem. This phone range was previously known as the iPhone SE series.
There won’t be many surprises with the 12th-gen iPad, this report says, which could be said about the 11th-gen iPad too. It will apparently, however, get a speed bump via an A18 chipset – enabling the entry-level iPad to support Apple Intelligence for the first time.
It’s likely that we’ll see more iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks over the course of 2026, but these three devices are apparently going to be leading the way. We will of course let you know as soon as Apple makes anything official.
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