Apple is preparing to expand its “Ultra” lineup in a big way, with three new products expected between this September and early 2027: a foldable iPhone, camera-equipped AirPods, and a touchscreen MacBook.
Taken together, the products would push Apple into some of its most unfamiliar hardware territory in years.
The foldable iPhone would introduce a new form factor, AirPods could gain cameras, and the MacBook could finally get a touchscreen.
The foldable iPhone comes first
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September. The device is expected to use a book-style design with a 7.7-inch inner display and a 5.3-inch outer screen.
The hardware would also bring some significant changes to the iPhone. Apple is expected to use two rear cameras, a single front camera, and Touch ID built into the power button instead of Face ID.
Price will be another major difference. Estimates put the foldable iPhone between $1,999 and $2,499, making it the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.
Getting enough units into stores could prove harder than announcing the phone. Apple plans to unveil the device in September, but limited production could push preorders beyond the launch event. The situation would echo the iPhone X, which faced similar supply constraints in 2017.
That would give Apple little room for error with its first foldable. The company would be entering a category that Samsung and other manufacturers have already spent years developing, while charging a price that puts the iPhone well above Apple’s existing lineup.
AirPods could become more than an audio product
Apple’s next Ultra could be even more unusual. The company is working on AirPods with miniature infrared cameras that can feed information into Visual Intelligence. The idea is to let someone look at an object and ask Siri about it without taking an iPhone out of their pocket.
The cameras could give AirPods a new role in Apple’s AI strategy. Someone standing in a kitchen, for example, could point their attention toward ingredients and ask Siri for meal ideas. The earbuds would handle the visual input while Siri provides the response.
Apple would also need to make it obvious when the cameras are being used. The reported design includes a small LED on each earbud that lights up when the cameras are active.
There is some evidence of the project in Apple’s software. Code found in an iOS 27 developer beta appeared to reference AirPods with cameras, suggesting Apple has been building support for the hardware into its operating system.
The timing also fits with Apple’s broader push into Visual Intelligence. iOS 27 already expands the feature through Siri and the Camera app, allowing users to get information about objects, text and other things in view. Cameras on AirPods would extend that system beyond the phone.
The MacBook Ultra changes the Mac equation
The third product is expected in early 2027, and it could have the biggest impact on Apple’s hardware strategy.
Apple is preparing a MacBook Ultra with an OLED display that supports touch input, along with M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options. The machine is also expected to have a thinner design than the current MacBook Pro and could include a Dynamic Island.
Apple is even considering cellular connectivity, potentially using its own C2 modem. That would give the MacBook a capability Apple has so far reserved for the iPhone and cellular iPad.
The touchscreen is the bigger shift. Apple has consistently kept touch input on the iPhone and iPad while relying on a keyboard and trackpad for the Mac. A touchscreen MacBook would blur that line in a way the company has resisted for years.
The three products also show how Apple is expanding the meaning of “Ultra.” The name started as a designation for its highest-end Apple Watch and later appeared in Apple’s Mac chip lineup. Now it could become the label for products that push Apple’s existing designs into new territory.
A foldable iPhone, camera-equipped AirPods and touchscreen MacBook would give the Ultra name a much broader role across Apple’s hardware lineup in less than six months.
