What to Expect From Apple in 2015

2014 was a banner year for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Its stock underwent a 7-to-1 split and then reached an all time high after the launch of the iPhone 6 and its phablet counterpart, the iPhone 6 Plus. iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite arrived and the Apple Watch was announced. Carplay debuted and Apple Pay was introduced and quickly became the largest mobile payment system in the known universe (in terms of registered credit cards). The company joined forces with IBM to launch IBM Mobile First for iOS, offering solutions for enterprise customers. Beats was acquired. Stock was bought back at an unprecedented rate and, although share prices have fluctuated a bit in recent weeks, the holiday quarter could be a record breaker.

Apple has plenty more up its sleeve for 2015; here are a few products and upgrades to look for:

Apple Watch - This is the most sure-fire item on the list. The Apple Watch has been highly anticipated since the first whispers of an "iWatch" made their way to the rumor mill. It was officially announced in September, but there still has been no official announcement of a launch date. In its official press release, Apple says it will be available in "early 2015" at an opening price of $349. Valentine's Day seems to be on a lot of radars, but whatever the case, we expect it before April.

iPad - Rumors of a large screen iPad (anywhere from 12.2" to 12.9") dubbed the "iPad Pro" or "iPad Plus" have been swirling for some time now. In fact, a purported 3-D rendering of one surfaced earlier this week. Although Apple just launched a more powerful iPad Air in October, a larger screen iPad with a bit more horsepower would probably appeal to IBM MobileFirst for iOS customers, and IBM is authorized to sell iPads and iPhones to them as part of the agreement. iPads have traditionally launched in the fall, though some rumors have this one breaking rank. At any rate, we think an iPad Pro will surface before the end of the year. The iPad Air will likely be upgraded in the fall, as will the iPad mini, if it isn't discontinued.

iPhone and iOS - Apple will stick to tradition and launch an iPhone in the fall. The question is whether it will be an iPhone 7 or an improved iPhone 6 with an "s" on it. There are already rumors about the next generation iPhone having a dual lens camera, and there are rumors of a smaller, 4 inch, iPhone 6s mini. iOS 9 will likely debut with whatever iPhone launches, and will likely incorporate Beats Music streaming service somehow, which would be a smart move, considering streaming audio has overtaken song/album purchases.

Mac - The MacBook Air with Retina display is perhaps the most highly anticipated new Mac. Many thought it would be available by the end of 2014, but that wasn't the case. We expect it will debut by mid year. A new iMac will likely come out in the fall and the Mac Pro, which saw no updates in 2014, will likely see one before 2015 ends.

Apple TV - Apple TV is long overdue for a refresh, its last being in 2012. Apple has been very quiet on this front recently, and there has been a lot going on with negotiations between cable companies and content providers. Notably, HBO has announced that it will let customers watch its service without a cable subscription, beginning sometime this year. Perhaps Apple is waiting for the dust to settle before it releases an updated set top box (not an actual TV set, as Carl Icahn suggested). There has been speculation that the new Apple TV, along with HomeKit, will serve as a control hub for all of a household's connected devices.

HealthKit - Much ado was made about HealthKit with the release of iOS 8, but so far there is not all that much to do with it. The Apple Watch will surely give it a boost with its heart rate sensors, and Apple has teamed up with the Mayo Clinic to better improve/integrate it. We expect HealthKit to evolve and become more robust over the year, and we expect a host of third party apps and hardware (sensors) of various utility to come to market.

Bugs - For the cynics. Yes, there will be bugs in 2015, they come with the territory.