PCMag Launches 2026 Apple Hardware Contest Round 2 With 5 New Questions

Q: Beyond the iPhone 18, which rumored device will truly define new CEO John Ternus's first year?

The device most likely to define John Ternus’s first year, beyond the iPhone 18, is Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone, widely described as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra. The reason is simple: it would mark Apple’s entry into the last major premium smartphone category it has not yet joined. Unlike routine chip updates to Macs, iPads, or Apple Watch models, a foldable iPhone would signal a new hardware direction under a CEO known for product engineering. Reports tied to Apple’s 2026 pipeline point to a fall launch, potentially alongside the iPhone 18 lineup, putting it directly at the center of Ternus’s debut keynote after he succeeds Tim Cook on Sept. 1. The foldable also carries the biggest strategic weight. Analysts expect Apple’s arrival to reshape the foldables market, with some forecasts saying it could sharply lift global category sales and quickly give Apple a meaningful share. Rumors suggest a book-style design, a 7.6- to 7.8-inch inner display, a smaller outer screen, premium materials, and a price above $2,000, positioning it as a halo product rather than a niche experiment. Other rumored devices matter, especially an AI-focused smart home hub and possible smart glasses, because they would show how Apple plans to extend Siri and Apple Intelligence into new categories. But if Ternus needs one product to define his opening year, the foldable iPhone stands out as the clearest test of whether Apple can still create a major new hardware moment.

3 articles · Updated · PCMag UK · Jul 7

Round 2 of PCMag’s 2026 Big Guessing Game shifts from software to Apple hardware after WWDC, asking readers to answer five new prediction questions.
Three rounds are planned in total, and each correct answer earns one entry into a grand-prize drawing for the latest Apple Watch announced in September.
The sweepstakes runs from May 19 to Sept. 1, 2026, and is open to legal U.S. residents in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., age 18 and older.
More participation improves the odds: readers can boost their chances by entering additional rounds and getting more predictions right.