There were plenty of things to hate about 2020, but its slate of long-rumored gadget releases is not among them. We got Sonos's first Dolby Atmos soundbar, Apple over-ear headphones, five new iPhones (including the SE) and some interesting foldable smartphones by Samsung and Motorola — and those are just a few highlights. And, well, it's got us even more excited for what's to come in 2021. These are a few of the long-rumored about products that might come sometime after the turn of the year.
Sony WF-1000XM4
Sony released its next-generation noise-canceling over-ear headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4, earlier this year but its still yet to release details about its wireless earbud brethren. It's expected that the company will release the Sony WF-1000XM4 sometime in 2021 and it's going to be interesting to see how similar or different they are from the Sony WF-1000XM3 (and the competing AirPods Pro), which are still some of the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy.
14-inch MacBook Pro
Apple is expected to release higher-end versions of its Mac line that integrated with the company's M1 chipset. And it's exciting because we've already seen the huge leaps in power, efficiency and battery life that delivers for its "entry-level" MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and who knows how much better its going to make its higher-end Pros. Probably a lot. It's also rumored that we could see, for the first time, a 14-inch Pro, that has a beautiful edge-to-edge display. Look for these around March 2021.
Google Pixel Watch
Despite making Wear OS, the operating system for many other Android smartwatches, Google has still yet to release a smartwatch of its own in the last few years. Hopefully we get one that looks beautiful and runs exactly well with its the company's line of Pixel smartphones. It's a product that's both a long time coming, but which has also failed to show up so far, so keep your eyes open but maybe don't hold your breath.
Nintendo Switch Pro
Nintendo released a more affordable version of its Switch console in the fall of 2019, and it's been long rumored that the company would release a next-generation console in the future. We're hoping for a "Pro" version with more storage, a better display, upgraded guts and, maybe most importantly, built-in Bluetooth so that you can actually listen to your wireless headphones while playing Breath of the Wild. (Yep, we're still playing it.)
Sonos Headphones
It's been long rumored that Sonos, the multi-room speaker giant, was getting ready to release its first pair of over-ear headphones — and 2021 could be the year to do so. Would they be designed to pair with its existing speakers or be something completely separate? Or maybe they'd support Dolby Atmos and be a fun extension of the company's home theater experience? We'll have to wait and see.
Apple AirTags
AirTags are little Bluetooth-tracking gadgets that are designed to attach to your Apple devices, be it your MacBook Pro or AirPods, and be discoverable in your iPhone's Find My app. Essentially, its Apple's take on what Tile has been doing for years. So if you misplace your devices, if you have an attached AirTag, they'll be even easier to find.
Samsung Galaxy S21
Rumor has it that Samsung is officially going to end production of its Note line, and given its high price and near-identical similarities to the company's flagship line of Galaxy S20 smartphones, we can't say we're surprised. However, to soften the blow Samsung is expected to announced support for one of the Note's line's most defining features, the S Pen, when it announces its line of Galaxy S21 smartphones in 2021.
Analogue Pocket
Analogue was expected to release the Pocket, a beautiful handheld console that can play old Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advanced games in high definition, last year...but the pandemic hit and production timelines were extended to 2021.
