Apple Retail Traders Bullish As Cupertino Reportedly Eyes Flurry Of New Product Launches In Spring 2026

Apple, Inc.’s (AAPL) rumored new hardware launch in the first half of 2026 lifted retail traders’ mood toward the stock, which has underperformed its mega-cap tech peers this year. 

Apple specialist and Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman said Thursday afternoon, citing people with knowledge of the matter, that the company is eyeing the release of a raft of products, including a new low-end iPhone, multiple iPads, and upgraded Macs.

These products will be rolled out by Spring 2026, the columnist said.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward Apple stock shifted to ‘bullish’ (55/100) by late Thursday, up from ‘neutral’ the day before. The message volume, however, stayed at a ‘normal’ level.

The retail watchers of the stock shared the news on the platform. 

Among the products flagged by Gurman are a budget smartphone dubbed iPhone 17e (the next iteration to the $599 iPhone 16e launched in February). He also said Apple will launch a new, slimmed-down iPhone 17 and redesigned Pro models.

Gurman said the back-to-back launch of the low-end iPhone suggests the company is eyeing an annual cadence. This is a deviation from its previous practice, having unveiled only two variants of the preceding SE low-end versions.

The tech giant is rumored to launch a $349, low-end iPad around March or April, featuring a new model with a faster chip. Gurman expects the new iPad Air models to be upgraded to the M4 chip from the M3 chip used in the current iterations. These will launch around the same time as the low-end iPad.

Apple is internally targeting a launch timeline of early next year for its new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, both powered by the M5 chip. Two new MacBook Airs are also expected to be released in the first half of 2026.

A new smart home hub is likely to be announced around the same time, giving the company some time to incorporate the upgraded Siri that it is working on, Gurman said. The columnist is also expecting an external Mac monitor, new entry-level and high-end watches, and a faster version of the Vision Pro headset.

Apple’s lack of innovative new products and new features, along with the macroeconomic and geopolitical tensions, kept a lid on its top-line growth. The fundamental softness has been reflected in the stock price, with Cupertino’s shares trading down 15% so far this year, even as the broader market trades at a record high.

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