Samsung has sold foldable phones for seven years. Millions of MacBook users have reflexively tapped their screens expecting a response, then remembered — right, Apple doesn’t do that. HomePod mini owners have quietly lowered their expectations of Siri. This fall, Apple reportedly plans to address all of it at once. Five products, each delayed or denied for years, are finally expected to ship. The IOUs are coming due.
The Hardware You’ve Been Waiting Years to Touch
Two of Apple’s most long-rumored hardware shifts — a foldable iPhone and a touchscreen Mac — are reportedly arriving in the same fall.
Seven years after Samsung cracked open the foldable market, Apple is reportedly bringing its own version: the iPhone Ultra. According to MacRumors, the book-style foldable features a 7.7-inch inner display, a 5.3-inch outer screen, two rear cameras, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID — likely due to the constraints of cramming biometrics into a razor-thin hinge chassis. It reportedly arrives in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, sitting at the very top of Apple’s pricing ladder.
Then there’s the MacBook Ultra. After more than a decade of insisting Macs don’t need touchscreens — while simultaneously selling iPad Pros with keyboard cases that basically are laptops — Apple is reportedly building its first touch-capable OLED MacBook, powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Official branding remains unconfirmed. The irony, however, is already fully baked.
Apple’s Smart Home Is Finally Getting Its Act Together
Three overdue home products are reportedly landing together, unified by a single high-stakes bet on Apple Intelligence.
The current Apple TV 4K launched in fall 2022. The HomePod mini hasn’t seen a hardware refresh since 2020. That’s an eternity in consumer tech. Each device reportedly brings long-overdue updates:
- Apple TV 4K: A17 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 7, Apple Intelligence integration, and a possible built-in camera for FaceTime — though that last detail remains unconfirmed
- HomePod mini 2: newer chip, improved audio, and fresh color options
- HomePad: 6-to-7-inch touchscreen, an A18 chip, magnetic base attachments, and FaceTime support, originally targeted for early 2025 before delays pushed it to this fall
Every one of these products depends on Apple Intelligence and a revamped Siri actually delivering. Multiple reports suggest the Apple TV and HomePad were held back until the updated assistant was ready — making this less a hardware launch than a full platform bet. If Apple pulls all five off cleanly, this is the most consequential fall lineup in recent memory. That’s a significant “if,” but the wait is almost over.
