Your 2026 Tech Forecast: 5 trends changing everything

Happy New Year! While 2025 was the year we all talked about AI until we were blue in the face, 2026 is when the tech starts showing up in our physical lives. We are moving beyond simple chatbots and into a world of robots in your kitchen, satellites in the sky and Apple finally making a phone that bends. 

Here is the list you need to know as we kick off day one of 2026.

🦄 The foldable iPhone 

After years of watching Samsung dominate the foldable market, Apple is expected to copy Samsung, I mean, launch its first foldable iPhone this fall. It’ll be a book-style device that opens into a mini-tablet. Hopefully, Siri will get some real AI smarts, too. 

In true Apple form, it won’t be cheap. Expect to pay $2,000 or maybe more. Apple’s betting its loyal fan base will stand in line to pay a small fortune for a phone that fits in your pocket but gives you a massive screen for movies and work. And we will. No doubt.

🤖 I want a home robot

What’s the one chore you hate doing around the house? For me, it’s folding laundry. Every time, I contemplate becoming a nudist, then I remember I don’t have a 20-year-old body anymore. 

2026 is the year we stop talking about robots and start letting them into our homes.

The big players are moving fast. Elon Musk’s Tesla is pushing the Optimus bot toward home use, while companies like Figure (backed by OpenAI and Jeff Bezos) and Apptronik are racing to get their versions into your living room. 

These aren’t Roombas. These are machines that can move like us and actually help around the house. I’ll name mine Obi-Wan Cleanobi.

🧬 You’re a human problem 

As AI agents get smarter, the internet is becoming a dead mall of bots. 

Remember a few months ago when Apple and Google said, “Aside from your driver’s license, you can put your passport in your phone’s digital wallet now! Oh happy day!” Were they being thoughtful? No.

In 2026, your phone will store a verified, government-backed ID that you will use to prove you are not a bot when buying concert tickets, going through TSA or logging into the bank. Say goodbye to those annoying puzzles where you have to click every crosswalk or bike. This is about making the internet safe for real people.

🛰️ Satellites galore 

2026 is the year no bars officially becomes a thing of the past. Massive satellite constellations are fully operational, blanketing the Earth in high-speed connectivity.

This is not only for rural areas. It means high-speed internet with no dead zones on every airplane and ship. Someday, I’ll tell my grandchildren about having to sit on a grueling 10-hour flight from London with no internet. 

Keep an eye on the news, too. Elon Musk will finally take SpaceX or its Starlink division public this year, which would be the biggest IPO in tech history. 

Meanwhile, AST SpaceMobile launched the largest low-Earth satellite ever. BlueBird 6 is the size of a three-bedroom apartment. Its superpower? Beaming 5G directly to your regular phone, no dishes or boosters needed. Signal everywhere, all the time. Oh, and it’s brighter than actual stars. 

They’re planning on launching 50 more next year, and they already have partnerships with AT&T, Verizon and others. Go out tonight and get a good look at the stars while you can still see them. 

🔋 The 1,000-mile battery

For years, the main knock on electric cars has been the battery. That changes this year. Major automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are slated to move solid-state batteries from the lab to the production line in 2026.

These batteries are a game changer. They don’t catch fire, they charge in about 10 minutes, and they can go up to 1,000 miles on a single charge. That is New York to Florida without stopping for fuel. The electric car finally becomes more convenient than the gas car.

2026 is more than a new year. It is the beginning of an era when the digital and physical worlds merge. Stick with me, and I will make sure you are ready for it.

Share this forecast! Who is ready for a 1,000-mile car or a foldable iPhone? Forward this to a friend or use the share icons below and see which one they would pick first.

Tags: Apple, Google, home, internet, robot