Generally, it's accepted that modern Apple history can be boiled down to five major product launches:
1998 - iMac
2001 - iPod
2007 - iPhone
2010 - iPad
2015 - Apple Watch
Of course, you could throw in products like the iPod mini (2004), Apple TV (2007), MacBook Air (2008), but I don't they count as 'major' as, apart from the Apple TV, they were all part of a family of products already introduced - and even then, the Apple TV was only a 'hobby' in Apple's words. They may have had a greater effect - for example, I personally think the iPod mini was the iPod which actually made the masses buy one and think 'wow' - but they weren't the beginning.
It remains to be seen whether the Apple Watch will be a success or remain a hobby for Apple, but they've been pushing it hard enough to suggest it will play a major part in the company for the years to come.
It seems like there has always been an overriding rumour about Apple's next major product category. The iPhone seemed to have been mentioned for years and years beforehand; before the 'iSlate' launch, in Mossberg's words, the 'last time there was [that] much excitement about a tablet, it has some commandments written on it'; and, of course, in recent history 'iWatch' concepts seemed to dominate Apple blogs.
So, what do you think is next? I'm sure the Apple Watch will be honed and refined over the next few years, and I'm sure iPhones and iPads and MacBooks will get thinner, and I'm sure Jony Ive will talk over some banal scenes and make them seem majestic during a keynote, but looking four or five years into the future, what do you see Apple releasing?
At the moment, it seems people are focussed on the Apple Car. While I'm sure Apple could build a great car, I don't think they will. Cars are very expensive products to buy, and I can't see them being targeted to the masses in the way the Watch or iPhones are, which are cheap enough for many people to afford one if they wish. Cars, also, are complicated to manufacture, need dedicated showrooms and aren't upgradeable in the same way a $200 subsidised phone is. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I find it unlikely that MacRumors will be dominated by Apple Car unboxings in 2020...
The other major rumour seems to be an Apple TV set. This, I think, is more likely - TVs are still consumer electronics and seem almost a natural continuation of Apple's lineup. However, TVs are still kept by most households for a good five years at least, and I'm not sure how Apple feel about that. Plus, there's the complication of PAL/NTSC and all those kind of protocols. I think it's much more like that we'll see a beefier Apple TV at some point, with Siri integration, HDMI passthrough like the Xbox One, integrated TV guide, etc. Does that count as a new product category? I'm not sure. But I think a ~$300 box that hooks up to your TV and acts as a hub is a much better idea that a ~$3,000 TV set which does most of the same, but in a thin, unibody shell.
Of course, it's entirely possible that the next 'big thing' is something which hasn't been rumoured. More wearable tech? Google Glass still seems too geeky to be taken seriously, maybe as technology gets smaller, it can be integrated into a pair of normal glasses? Maybe more integrated technology around the home, like smart tables? Maybe Apple's next big breakthrough will be in software, or at least hardware not aimed at consumers, like a mobile network?
I'm not too sure, but think it would be interesting to see what others thought.
TL;DR: In your opinion, what will Apple's next major product category be?
1998 - iMac
2001 - iPod
2007 - iPhone
2010 - iPad
2015 - Apple Watch
Of course, you could throw in products like the iPod mini (2004), Apple TV (2007), MacBook Air (2008), but I don't they count as 'major' as, apart from the Apple TV, they were all part of a family of products already introduced - and even then, the Apple TV was only a 'hobby' in Apple's words. They may have had a greater effect - for example, I personally think the iPod mini was the iPod which actually made the masses buy one and think 'wow' - but they weren't the beginning.
It remains to be seen whether the Apple Watch will be a success or remain a hobby for Apple, but they've been pushing it hard enough to suggest it will play a major part in the company for the years to come.
It seems like there has always been an overriding rumour about Apple's next major product category. The iPhone seemed to have been mentioned for years and years beforehand; before the 'iSlate' launch, in Mossberg's words, the 'last time there was [that] much excitement about a tablet, it has some commandments written on it'; and, of course, in recent history 'iWatch' concepts seemed to dominate Apple blogs.
So, what do you think is next? I'm sure the Apple Watch will be honed and refined over the next few years, and I'm sure iPhones and iPads and MacBooks will get thinner, and I'm sure Jony Ive will talk over some banal scenes and make them seem majestic during a keynote, but looking four or five years into the future, what do you see Apple releasing?
At the moment, it seems people are focussed on the Apple Car. While I'm sure Apple could build a great car, I don't think they will. Cars are very expensive products to buy, and I can't see them being targeted to the masses in the way the Watch or iPhones are, which are cheap enough for many people to afford one if they wish. Cars, also, are complicated to manufacture, need dedicated showrooms and aren't upgradeable in the same way a $200 subsidised phone is. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I find it unlikely that MacRumors will be dominated by Apple Car unboxings in 2020...
The other major rumour seems to be an Apple TV set. This, I think, is more likely - TVs are still consumer electronics and seem almost a natural continuation of Apple's lineup. However, TVs are still kept by most households for a good five years at least, and I'm not sure how Apple feel about that. Plus, there's the complication of PAL/NTSC and all those kind of protocols. I think it's much more like that we'll see a beefier Apple TV at some point, with Siri integration, HDMI passthrough like the Xbox One, integrated TV guide, etc. Does that count as a new product category? I'm not sure. But I think a ~$300 box that hooks up to your TV and acts as a hub is a much better idea that a ~$3,000 TV set which does most of the same, but in a thin, unibody shell.
Of course, it's entirely possible that the next 'big thing' is something which hasn't been rumoured. More wearable tech? Google Glass still seems too geeky to be taken seriously, maybe as technology gets smaller, it can be integrated into a pair of normal glasses? Maybe more integrated technology around the home, like smart tables? Maybe Apple's next big breakthrough will be in software, or at least hardware not aimed at consumers, like a mobile network?
I'm not too sure, but think it would be interesting to see what others thought.
TL;DR: In your opinion, what will Apple's next major product category be?
Car, duh 
