According to the most well-known Apple-gossip source, Mark Gurman, the company's incoming CEO, John Ternus, will be trying to bring back the company's sense of cool by focusing on the look and feel of products.
Cameras are set to be a huge part of that new wave of cool, too, apparently. One of the drivers of that cool will be AirPods with cameras in them (see Gurman's pay-walled story for Bloomberg).
Other leakers have nicknamed called these 'AirPods Ultra', including YouTuber Matt Talks Tech, as you can see below:
They're in development now, although they are not expected to arrive until 2027. They are one of three significant new product categories we’re expecting, which are all perceived as relatively new and exciting – and that Apple has, until now, kept out of.
The others are folding phones and smart camera glasses (as opposed to the sophisticated Vision Pro) – both of which are, of course, camera-equipped.
Personally, I do tend to buy Apple products – I'm well into the ecosystem – and I enjoyed trying the Vision Pro, but I didn't find myself reaching into my pocket for the large sum of cash to buy something I wouldn't actually use.
Sure, the equivalently-priced MacBook Pro wasn't revolutionary – but it does a lot more of what I actually need to do, day to day, and I don't see that changing for a while.
But smart glasses like those from Meta are a price that people can comfortably reach and – thanks to piggy-backing on the Ray-Ban brand – are definitely cool. So it's easy to see why Apple would see the need to compete there.
As for the last one of the three, there are already a good number of folding phones on the market – and have been for quite some time.
We were expecting Apple to launch one this September, also rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, as software developers have found evidence in the next version of iOS.
The Independent has reported, however, that the production line now suggests the phone is more likely to arrive in early 2027 – and cost over $2,000.
That follows news from Apple – discreetly left in the hands of the outgoing CEO – that all iPhone prices will be on the rise, too.
Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal that prices would “inevitably” rise with the arrival of the iPhone 18. The company traditionally launches a new phone every September, but what is being called an ‘AI boom’ is pushing up the prices of computer chips.
Now, personally, I wasn't that sure about a folding phone anyway. I really want to be convinced that the screen isn't going to be damaged or full of dust. But now I'm starting to worry about my wallet, too!
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Can't wait until 2027? Check our guides to the best camera glasses and the best folding phones.
