Apple is projected to hit a new milestone with $140 billion revenue in the first quarter of 2026. The expected milestone, if achieved, will commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026. It will be a grand celebration, as the company celebrates its revenue successes despite having a tough year due to Trump tariffs, failure of Apple intelligence, and lack of major product innovation.
2026 is expected to be a power packed year for Apple on the innovation side, as it looks forward to unveiling a new Artificial Intelligence strategy and entering new markets such as foldable phones and smart-connected devices. It will continue to be under various regulatory pressures while navigating a possible executive-shakeup.
There have been various reports that Tim Cook will hand over the helm of Apple to its successor soon. It is unclear whether it was Cook’s decision or the board’s decision or based on the recent product failures. Tim Cook has to be viewed as a personality who knows how to scale a business while maintaining the quality and handling multiple regulatory burdens, including swaying global trade. It is not known to many but Apple’s massive foothold in various product categories across the globe, allows it to dictate many global trade decisions.
While Apple has grown significantly and has achieved record revenue successes, it has suffered in terms of product innovation. The company’s products now touch more people but in the process it has lost touch with its OG Apple fans which love the company for its product innovation and entering new categories with a unique approach. It is an act which is tough to balance but it is commendable that Apple has not compromised on quality or its products’ touted core security features in the process.
Apple is expected to kick off 2026 with the A18 iPad (entry-level), M4 iPad Air, iPhone 17e.
