It’s been a busy year. Some of 2026’s tech changes made headlines, and others quietly changed how we use our phones, computers and home broadband. Here’s a plain-English look back at what actually mattered.
Windows 10 finally ended
Mainstream support ended in October 2025, and the extra year of Extended Security Updates for home users ran out on 13 October 2026. Millions of people faced the same choice: upgrade to Windows 11, replace the PC, or try something different. That helped drive a surge of interest in Linux, with beginner-friendly versions like Zorin OS and Linux Mint seeing record downloads.
Older Microsoft Office versions reached the end of the road too. Office 2021 lost support on the same day.
Tech got more expensive
A global memory chip shortage pushed up the price of PCs, laptops and phones. Chipmakers switched production towards memory for data centres, leaving less for everyday devices. Analysts expect prices to stay high into 2027.
One result: refurbished tech boomed. UK refurbished PC sales nearly doubled, and around one in five phones sold was refurbished.
New rules arrived
- USB-C on laptops. Since April, new laptops sold in the EU must charge over USB-C, and most UK models followed.
- Right to repair. Phones must now get five years of updates and seven years of spare parts under EU rules.
- Contactless. The £100 contactless card cap was lifted in March, letting banks set their own limits.
- Online Safety Act. Age checks became routine on many websites and apps.
- Under-16 social media ban. Announced in June, and expected from spring 2027.
Connectivity leapt forward
- Full fibre reached 82% of UK homes.
- Satellite-to-phone arrived, with O2 launching the UK’s first service in February.
- 5G Standalone, the “real” 5G, spread across towns and cities.
- Wi-Fi 7 went mainstream, with routers from around £100.
- eSIM became normal, and the first eSIM-only iPhone went on sale.
Security shifted
- Passkeys hit the mainstream, with an estimated 5 billion in use.
- Texts between iPhone and Android gained end-to-end encryption through RCS.
- The Government’s survey found 43% of UK businesses had a cyber breach or attack, with phishing the most common.
- Organisations began moving to post-quantum encryption to protect data against future quantum computers.
New gadgets
- Foldable phones went mainstream as Apple joined Samsung.
- Arm-powered Windows laptops matured, with multi-day battery life.
- Mini PCs replaced desktop towers in many homes and offices.
- Bluetooth Auracast began appearing in venues and hearing aids.
- Google began turning Chromebooks into Android laptops.
- Apple released the last macOS for Intel Macs.
And AI, of course
AI moved from chat windows into everyday tools. AI agents started doing tasks, not just answering questions, most developers now code with AI help, and new laptops gained dedicated AI chips. The demand for computing power even pushed big tech firms into nuclear energy deals.
What to take into 2027
- If you’re still on Windows 10, make moving off it your first job.
- Switch on passkeys and 2-step verification.
- Check your landline and alarms before the copper network switches off on 31 January 2027.
- Back up your photos and files.
💡 One thing to do today: before you see in the New Year, check your phone’s photo backup is switched on and up to date. Everything else can wait until January.
Wrapping up
2026 was the year a lot of long-promised changes finally arrived. Thank you for reading along this year. There’s plenty more to come in 2027.
Happy New Year from John The Computer Man! 🎉
Next in the series: Landline Switch-Off: Four Weeks to Go. Your Final Checklist
Sources: Microsoft: Windows 10 Extended Security Updates · Ofcom: Connected Nations · GOV.UK: Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026 · FIDO Alliance: World Passkey Day 2026
