TLDR — Quick Hits:
- 📉 Apple faced real criticism: slow AI rollout, outdated Siri, limited customization
- 🤝 Siri is getting a full Gemini-powered upgrade in 2026
- 🎬 Apple Creator Studio launched January 28. 10 pro apps for just $12.99/month
- 📱 iOS 26 brings the biggest iPhone redesign since 2013
- 🥽 Vision Pro is finally getting serious content and controller support
- 💰 Apple hit a record $143.8 billion in revenue in Q1 2026 — up 16% year-over-year
Let’s be honest. For the past couple of years, there’s been a real conversation happening online and it’s not entirely unfair. Apple fans started asking the question nobody wanted to say out loud: is Apple falling behind?
The AI boom caught Apple flat-footed. Competitors were shipping features that genuinely wowed people while Apple was still talking about what Siri might do someday. But here’s where the story gets interesting Apple isn’t just course-correcting. It’s quietly building something bigger. Let’s break it down.
Where Apple Was Genuinely Struggling
No sugarcoating here. Apple had some real problems heading into 2025 and early 2026.
Siri was embarrassing. While ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude were handling complex multi-step tasks and holding natural conversations. Siri was still fumbling basic requests. Users noticed. Tech reviewers didn’t hold back. The gap between Apple’s AI assistant and the competition became a running joke and rightfully so.
Customization was almost non-existent. Android users had been personalizing their phones for years. Widgets, custom launchers, icon packs, lock screen flexibility. iPhone users got… slightly different wallpapers. For a premium product the rigidity felt tone-deaf.
Vision Pro launched without enough to do. The hardware was genuinely impressive. The content library? Thin. The controller support? Missing. For a $3,500 device, it felt like Apple shipped the future without the present-day reason to buy it.
China revenue took a hit. Apple’s market share in China fell as domestic brands like Huawei surged. Combined with tariff pressures adding roughly $900 million per quarter in costs. Apple was dealing with real financial headwinds in one of its most important markets.
Why the Narrative Is Shifting Fast
Here’s what the doom-and-gloom crowd is missing. Apple doesn’t panic it pivots. And in 2026, the pivots are significant.
Siri Finally Gets a Brain Powered by Gemini
This is the biggest AI story Apple has had in years. Apple is partnering with Google to power a fully overhauled Siri with Gemini’s large language models. Which is bringing genuinely conversational, multi-step AI assistance to every iPhone. The upgraded Siri is expected to arrive in spring 2026 and iOS 26.4 is already opening CarPlay to third-party AI chatbots including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. It is giving users real options while the new Siri is finalized.
This isn’t Apple admitting defeat. It’s Apple making the smart business call: instead of spending hundreds of billions building a model from scratch. They’re integrating the best available technology and focusing their energy on privacy, on-device intelligence and user experience. That’s actually a solid strategy.
Apple Creator Studio A $13/Month Gift for Creators
On January 28, 2026, Apple launched Apple Creator Studio. A bundle of 10 professional creative apps for just $12.99 per month.
Here’s what you get in one subscription:
- Final Cut Pro — professional-grade video editing with new AI features like Transcript Search, Visual Search and Beat Detection
- Logic Pro — industry-standard music production
- Pixelmator Pro — powerful image editing for Mac and iPad
- Motion & Compressor — motion graphics and video export tools
- MainStage — live performance software for musicians
- AI-powered tools across Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. Including text-to-image generation powered by OpenAI models
For context: Adobe Creative Cloud costs $60+ per month. Apple just offered a legitimate alternative at $12.99. Students and educators pay just $3/month. For YouTube creators, podcasters and content marketers. This is a genuinely compelling package and it’s only going to grow.
iOS 26 — The Most Customizable iPhone Ever
iOS 26 is Apple’s biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7 in 2013. The new Liquid Glass design language has been applied across the entire interface and customization options have expanded significantly.
Recent updates through iOS 26.2 and 26.3 added:
- Expanded Lock Screen clock transparency controls
- Camera swipe shortcuts directly from the Lock Screen
- New screen flash notification options for accessibility and style
- Slide-to-stop gestures with single-tap alternatives
This isn’t just cosmetic. Apple is finally giving users real control over how their phone looks and behaves. Closing the gap with Android in ways that long-time iPhone users have been requesting for years.
Vision Pro Is Actually Getting Good
visionOS 26 is a serious update for Apple Vision Pro. Key additions include:
- Spatial widgets that stay anchored in your physical space
- Dramatically improved Personas — more natural hair, skin and expressions with full side-profile rendering
- PlayStation VR2 Sense controller support — opening the door for a new category of spatial games
- 180° and 360° video support from GoPro, Insta360 and Canon
- Spatial scenes using generative AI to add depth to personal photos
This is the content and hardware ecosystem Vision Pro needed at launch. It’s arriving now and Apple is actively courting developers and enterprises with new spatial APIs.
Sum up on Is Apple Losing Popularity in 2026? with real numbers
Apple’s revenue in Q1 2026 hit a record $143.8 billion. A 16% year-over-year increase driven by strong iPhone 17 sales and a services business that crossed $30 billion in a single quarter for the first time. Net profit came in at $42.1 billion, up 19%. These aren’t the numbers of a company losing relevance.
The question was never really “Is Apple losing popularity?” The better question is “Was Apple moving fast enough?” In 2025, the honest answer was no. In 2026, they’re finally running.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom — Introducing Apple Creator Studio
- TechCrunch — Apple launches Creator Studio bundle for $12.99/month
- MacRumors — Apple’s AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026
- BGR — iOS 26.4 Is Bringing Big New AI Features to CarPlay
- Apple Newsroom — visionOS 26 Introduces Spatial Experiences for Apple Vision Pro
- 9to5Mac — iOS 26 Recently Added Five New Ways to Customize Your iPhone
- Variety — Apple Revenue Pops 16% to Nearly $144 Billion
- OWC Blog — Apple Creator Studio: All-In-One Creative Subscription
