Mark Gurman posted on February 8 that Apple plans to push the first developer beta of iOS 26.4 during the week of February 23, a build he says will include portions of the company’s revamped Siri. He also flagged a hardware window the following week, beginning March 2, when Apple may introduce refreshed Macs and multiple new iPad and iPhone variants.
The hardware line-up Gurman outlined keeps the company’s “e” entry model strategy intact: an iPhone 17e is expected to retain the iPhone 16e’s $599 price while gaining a newer chip and expanded MagSafe capabilities. Gurman further reported that an updated entry-level iPad will ship with an A18 processor and Apple Intelligence features, and that the iPad Air will move up to an M4-class chip, signalling continued chip differentiation across Apple’s tablet range.
The sequence matters. Shipping a feature-limited Siri in a developer beta ahead of new devices lets Apple iterate with developers and collect feedback before a wider release, while the staggered hardware announcements preserve momentum across product lines. For developers and enterprise customers, early access to iOS 26.4 will be important for testing how Siri’s expanded capabilities, and any Apple Intelligence hooks, integrate with apps and services.
Strategically, the mix of upgraded silicon and a steady price point for the 17e underscores two ongoing priorities for Apple: push artificial intelligence and advanced features into more models without abandoning price-sensitive segments, and tighten the ecosystem tie between software advances and hardware sales. Execution risks remain—beta features are often trimmed, and aggressive rollout schedules test supply chains and developer readiness—but the cadence reflects Apple’s attempt to stay competitive in both AI and mid-market hardware during a fast-moving year.