Out with the old and in with the new. As 2026 dawns, it brings another exciting year of tech releases, with Artificial Intelligence seemingly the biggest area of potential, but it’s still the hardware that brings the most anticipation every year.

It’s set to be another big year for the top tech brands like Apple, Microsoft, Huawei, and Samsung.

Whether it’s smartphones, watches, or laptops, there’s probably at least one gadget that people will be marking their calendars for a release date.

With that in mind, here are the top five tech gadgets coming out in 2026.

Budget MacBook

The rumours have been swirling for a number of years about an entry-level MacBook, since it was first released by Apple in 2015. While the design was revolutionary, under the hood, the technology simply wasn’t there yet. The Intel processor overheated during simple tasks, which reduced the machine to a paperweight most of the time. Flash forward to 2025, and five years into Apple silicon (their own high-powered and efficient processor), and the rumours intensified once more.

Actual product numbers were leaked, and in 2026, it seems that the latest iPhone processor is the likeliest chip to be used in the new budget offering from Apple. With the latest M4 MacBook Air starting at around R21,499, the new MacBook is set to cost around R15,000 or less depending on the import costs to South Africa.

The screen is set to be around the 12 or 13” mark, and will be a lower spec version than the extremely powerful M4 Air, which is overkill in terms of performance for the majority of users.

The new MacBook is expected to be released around March.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 was a handheld gimbal 4K AI tracking camera released in 2024, and has been the most popular choice for vloggers around the world ever since. While most action cameras offer digital stabilisation, the Pocket 3 has a physical gimbal, which creates buttery smooth footage, which can be used from beginners to experts.

Now the long-awaited successor to the Pocket 3 is on its way in 2026, and leaked design details reveal it will actually have two cameras.

All rumours point to a release date as early as January.

Samsung Galaxy S26 series

One of the biggest competitors to the iPhone, Samsung normally releases its new fleet of phones early in the year.

The Galaxy S26 series will feature the S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra.

The phones are expected to be unveiled in January and available worldwide in February.

Microsoft diving deeper into AI

While Apple lags behind in terms of its AI capabilities, Microsoft is set to stretch its lead in the most rapidly developing segment of the market.

Though this is not strictly a physical gadget like the rest on this list, Microsoft is set to integrate its advancements in AI across the board in all its devices in 2026.

Whether it’s one of the many Windows laptops, or it’s Microsoft 365 services – you will be left behind with AI if you don’t have access to what the tech giant will put out this year.

Huawei Pura X2 foldable smartphone

Huawei has been the pacesetter for foldable smartphones, and that should be the case again in 2026 – even though Apple is rumoured to be entering this segment of the market this year.

Huawei, though, is set to launch its X2 in the first quarter of 2026 with the new 950 AI Chip. The new tech in the phone will transform the multitasking capabilities of the device, and with improved hardware with the folding mechanism, it could prove to be one of the biggest releases on the smartphone market.

@Michael_Sherman