How Will Apple Change Under Its New CEO?

Source: Slashdot

Overview

Apple’s leadership transition to former hardware chief John Ternus is expected to bring a series of hardware updates and new product categories. Industry blogs such as Geeky Gadgets and 9to5Mac are already speculating on the roadmap for the next few years, while CNET’s network is running a reader‑prediction contest for 2026.

Timeline

• 2026: Introduction of a foldable display.
• 2027: Launch of a bezel‑less iPhone 20 to mark the iPhone’s 20th anniversary.

Upcoming Product Categories

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (as reported by 9to5Mac), Apple is developing six major new product categories:

1. AI AirPods – wireless earbuds with integrated artificial‑intelligence features.
2. Smart glasses – wearable AR/VR devices.
3. Pendant – an AI‑driven wearable positioned as an alternative to AI AirPods and glasses.
4. Smart display (codenamed “HomePad”) – a new Home ecosystem screen.
5. Tabletop robot – a home‑assistant robot for the Apple Home platform.
6. Security camera – a smart doorbell camera with advanced facial‑recognition capabilities.

All three wearable products (AI AirPods, Smart glasses, and Pendant) are expected to rely heavily on a paired iPhone for Siri and other AI functions. The Smart display, Tabletop robot, and Security camera represent entirely new Apple Home hardware.

AI Integration

Apple’s upcoming AI features are said to be powered by the revamped Apple Foundation Models, which were trained in collaboration with Google Gemini (source: AppleInsider citing Gurman’s Power On newsletter).

Key AI‑enabled capabilities include:

• An upgraded facial‑recognition system for the smart doorbell camera, leveraging Apple Intelligence.
• Integration with HomeKit Secure Video (HSV), allowing the Home admin’s tagged faces from the Photos app to label people captured on camera.
• Voice announcements via Siri on the HomePod when a known person rings the doorbell.

These enhancements aim to deepen the synergy between Apple’s hardware ecosystem and its emerging AI services.