Apple has several hardware releases in the pipeline, but will we see any of them unveiled at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference?
WWDC is primarily a software event where new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS take center stage, but it’s not unusual for Apple to introduce new hardware during the developer conference. Take WWDC 2017, for example, where Apple first unveiled the original HomePod over six months ahead of its launch.
Apple has chosen to show off other major products at the annual event, like the redesigned Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR announced in June 2019. More recently, Apple unveiled the first 15-inch MacBook Air in 2023, along with the M2 Ultra chip in the Mac Studio, and the first Mac Pro powered by Apple silicon.
So What Can We Expect at WWDC 2026?
Probably not much. Apple has actually released a lot of updates already in 2026. We’ve seen the AirTag 2, the iPhone 17e, and a new iPad Air with M4 chip, along with refreshed M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro models.
Indeed, March was a big month for Apple. The Studio Display XDR arrived with mini-LED backplane technology and a 120Hz refresh rate, the regular Studio Display received a Thunderbolt 5 upgrade, and the company also debuted its industry-disrupting $599 MacBook Neo. It even quietly updated the AirPods Max with an H2 chip.
But despite the flurry of spring announcements, Apple reportedly has more products waiting in the wings. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, new models of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini are “ready to go” and have been “for months.” So why has Apple yet to launch the new devices, and should we expect to see them at WWDC?
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we will see either of these products announced during the conference. The main reason is that Apple is holding them back until the more personalized version of Siri and other Apple Intelligence upgrades are released later this year. We’ll undoubtedly see these software features previewed at WWDC, but they won’t be released to the public until mid-September, so it’s not reasonable to expect that the new Apple TV and HomePod mini will launch before then.
The same goes for other rumored products like smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, and the smart home hub or so-called “HomePad.” All of these devices will rely on an enhanced Siri and a version of Apple Intelligence that finally lives up to its promises, but we won’t see these improvements go public until the fall.
Mac Updates? Unlikely
It’s not looking good for Mac mini or Mac Studio updates arriving anytime soon, either.
Apple is battling a global memory chip shortage, driven by hyperscalar companies building out AI server facilities. The squeeze has already seen Apple remove desktop Macs from its online store – Mac mini models with 32GB and 64GB of RAM are no longer available for purchase, nor is the M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 256GB RAM. Apple even went so far as to remove the ?Mac mini? with 256GB of SSD storage, leaving the 512GB model as the minimum option. Apple CEO Tim Cook himself has said that the Mac mini and Mac Studio could be hard to get for months to come.
Perhaps the best we can hope for is a hardware preview of Apple’s smart home accessories. Other than that, the safest overriding assumption is not to expect hardware-based product launches at all until Apple’s new software updates mature to a point where its AI-based features no longer carry the “beta” badge caveat, and there’s no sign that’s about to happen anytime soon.
WWDC 2026 kicks off with Apple’s keynote on Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Be sure to stay tuned here at MacRumors for comprehensive coverage of all the announcements.Related Roundup: WWDC 2026Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech IndustryThis article, “Will Apple Launch New Hardware at WWDC Next Week?” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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Author: Tim Hardwick