Apple’s rumoured January event: Refresh, or reset?

The most interesting claim in Apple Track’s viral video is not that Apple has new hardware coming. Apple always has new hardware coming. It is the suggestion that January 2026 could bring nine products at once, spanning laptops, chips and the living room.

Apple has historically treated January as a quiet month. Big launches cluster around March, June and September. A crowded January event would be a break with that rhythm, and it hints at internal pressure to move faster and cover more ground.

At the centre of the leaks is the MacBook SE. The video describes it as a $699 entry level laptop designed for schools and cost-sensitive buyers, positioned against Chromebooks rather than other Macs.

That price point matters. Today, the cheapest new MacBook is still well over $900 in most markets. Even with Apple Silicon’s efficiency gains, Macs remain premium devices. A MacBook SE would be Apple acknowledging that price, not performance, is the limiting factor for many users.

The rumoured machine would reportedly use the upcoming M5 chip, not an older processor. That would be a significant choice. Apple has typically kept its newest silicon for higher-margin products. Putting the latest chip into the cheapest Mac would suggest confidence that manufacturing yields and costs are under control.

It would also reinforce a strategic message Apple has been building since the first M1 Macs. Performance per watt is now good enough that differentiation can move up the stack. Even an entry-level Mac can be fast, quiet and long-lasting. The trade-offs shift to screen quality, ports and materials rather than core capability.

Education is the obvious target. Chromebooks dominate classrooms because they are cheap, centrally managed and good enough. A MacBook SE would not beat them on price, but it could narrow the gap enough to make Apple’s software ecosystem attractive to schools that already rely on iPads.

The leaks also point to high-end machines built around the M5 Max. Apple’s chip naming has settled into a clear hierarchy. Base chips prioritise efficiency. Pro and Max variants scale cores, memory bandwidth and graphics for sustained workloads.

An M5 Max would likely land in refreshed MacBook Pros and desktops. The interesting question is not raw speed, which will almost certainly be impressive, but timing. Apple has accelerated its silicon cadence to roughly annual updates. That pace keeps Macs competitive with fast-moving PC laptops, but it also risks overwhelming buyers who are used to longer upgrade cycles.

A January event could help here. By separating some Mac updates from the traditional autumn window, Apple can reduce internal competition between products and smooth its release calendar.

The video also mentions updates to Apple TV. On its own, that would not usually justify much attention. The Apple TV box has seen incremental updates and remains a niche product.

In combination with cheaper Macs and faster chips, it looks more strategic. Apple continues to position the TV as a hub for services, gaming and home control. A refreshed device could align with new games, tighter integration with iPhones and Macs, or more ambitious streaming features.

What ties these rumours together is a sense of Apple broadening its definition of the platform. For years, the company focused on premium devices sold at high margins, with older models trickling down to fill lower price points. A MacBook SE would be a more explicit attempt to design for affordability from the start.

That does not mean Apple is abandoning the high end. The presence of M5 Max machines in the same event suggests the opposite. Apple appears to be trying to stretch the Mac both downwards and upwards at the same time.

There are limits to what can be inferred from leaks. Apple Track cites multiple sources, but details like pricing, naming and exact specifications often change late in development. A $699 MacBook is plausible, but it would require careful cost control and likely some compromises that are not yet clear.

There is also the question of demand. Apple’s recent financial results show solid services growth but more uneven hardware sales. Expanding the addressable market for Macs could be a way to stabilise volumes without cutting prices across the board.

If a January event with nine products does happen, it would mark a more aggressive Apple. Faster cycles, wider price coverage and less reliance on a single blockbuster moment each year.

That shift would not be about spectacle. It would be about logistics, manufacturing confidence and a belief that Apple Silicon has matured enough to support many variants without fragmenting the platform.

For now, the video offers a credible outline rather than a confirmed roadmap. But the enthusiasm it has generated suggests the idea of a cheaper Mac, backed by the same silicon as Apple’s best machines, touches a real nerve.

Sources and links:
Apple Track, January 2026 Apple Event: 9 Products LEAKED? (YouTube video, link not provided)