Apple on Monday announced a product-launch event scheduled for March 4, inviting select media to attend in person what it describes as a “special Apple Experience.” The invitation offers no details on what to expect, but the company is surely preparing to unveil new hardware as it pushes into the heart of its spring product cycle.
Numerous leaks and rumors point to a busy event. A new MacBook Pro, a new MacBook Air, an entirely new low-cost MacBook, the iPhone 17e, revamped iPads and possibly more could all be on the agenda.
Apple March 4 event is official — here’s why Mac fans should pay attention
Apple’s decision to host in-person events in New York, London and Shanghai rather than quietly rolling out updates through a series of press releases signals that the company likely views the March 4 announcements as more significant than a routine product refresh.
In recent years, Apple often introduced incremental upgrades — particularly to Macs and iPads — via its website with little fanfare. By contrast, staging live gatherings in major metroplitan areas suggests the company believes the news warrants focused media attention, hands-on demonstrations and a carefully choreographed presentation.
It’s possible the company intends to use the events to show progress on Apple Intelligence and the long-delayed, AI-enhanced Siri. Cupertino already promised improved productivity tools, more context-aware system features, and additional voice capabilities for its range of operating systems — all powered by AI. These could take the stage next month. Revealing new AI capabilities would justify an in-person event.
MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips
Image: Apple
AI speculation aside, new hardware is a virtual lock for the agenda of the Apple March event. That is likely to start with the MacBook Pro getting upgraded with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The new processors are expected to deliver faster CPU and GPU performance along with improved energy efficiency.
However, no exterior redesign is anticipated. This is a “chip and ship” update. Prices for the M5 Pro and M5 Max variants of the MacBook Pro are not expected to increase.
M5 MacBook Air
Another highlight of the Apple March event is likely to be a new version of the MacBook Air with the base M5 processor, bringing the company’s latest silicon innovations to its thinnest and lightest notebook. With the new chip, the Air will build on the performance and efficiency of its predecessors.
But this is another chip-and-ship update — outward changes to the current MacBook Air’s sleek chassis are not expected. But neither is a price increase. The base model likely will remain at $999.
New low-cost MacBooks
Apple reportedly plans to launch a new low-cost MacBook this year powered by an iPhone chip rather than an M-series processor. The aluminum laptops, aimed at students and office workers, reportedly will come in a variety of fun colors.
“Over the past year, Apple has tested options such as light yellow, light green, blue, pink, classic silver and dark gray — though it’s unlikely all of these will ship,” wrote Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman in the Sunday edition of his Power On newsletter.
The entry-level MacBook, code-named J700, reportedly will come with a smaller display than current Apple laptops, measuring “just under 13 inches,” according to Gurman.
Determined to use aluminum rather than resorting to plastic, Apple “developed a new manufacturing process that allows the shells to be forged more quickly,” Gurman wrote. “The technique is designed to be both faster and more cost-effective than the one used with Apple’s current laptops.”
Gurman predicted the low-cost MacBook would launch “as early as March,” so that clearly lines up with the March 4 date.
After Monday’s announcement, Gurman pointed out that the colors in Apple’s invite might indicate that we’ll see the low-cost laptops.
“Worth pointing out the three colors from the invite are light green, blue and yellow — which just so happen to be the colors Apple has tested the low-cost MacBook with, as I wrote yesterday,” Gurman said on X. “Coincidence? We shall see.”
Worth pointing out the three colors from the invite are light green, blue and yellow — which just so happen to be the colors Apple has tested the low-cost MacBook with, as I wrote yesterday. Coincidence? We shall see. https://t.co/1FFVkfw9JZ pic.twitter.com/ssKDDzdJsw
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) February 16, 2026
Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra
Rumors circulating ahead of Apple’s March 4 event also point to the possibility of a new Mac Studio powered by M5 Max and M5 Ultra configurations. According to supply-chain whispers and analyst speculation, these updated chips will bring notable gains in processing power and graphics performance, reinforcing the Mac Studio’s appeal to professionals working in video production, 3D animation, software development and other demanding creative fields.
The refreshed models are thought to retain the compact, desk-friendly design of the current Mac Studio while delivering a significant performance uplift.
But with great power comes great bills. The M5 Max/Ultra Mac Studio are likely to start around $1,999 and go up from there.
iPhone 17e
It’s possible we’ll see more than Macs at the Apple March event. If it doesn’t launch before then, the iPhone 17e is another very strong possibility. (A previous rumor indicated the iPhone 17e would arrive on February 19.)
Whenever it launches, we expect a more affordable, slightly pared-down member of last year’s iPhone 17 family. Leaks and rumors suggest it could include features missing from last year’s iPhone 16e: a Dynamic Island and MagSafe.
The lower entry price is the standout feature of the 16e, so don’t be surprised if the iPhone 17e stays at $599.
iPad 12
Rumors surrounding the iPad lineup also point to a refreshed base model that could make its debut at the Apple March 4 event. Reports suggest the entry-level iPad 12 will run on an A18 or A19 chip and include 8GB of RAM, a notable boost aimed at supporting Apple Intelligence features and improving overall performance.
Externally, the device is expected to look unchanged, while sticking with an affordable starting price of around $350.
M4 iPad Air
Apple could also use its March 4 event to introduce a refreshed iPad Air, with reports pointing to a straightforward spec-bump update centered on the addition of an M4 processor. If unveiled, the 2026 iPad Air would likely retain its current design language, including both 11-inch and 13-inch size options, while delivering improved performance and efficiency under the hood. Again, we expect no price changes.
More possibilities: Updated Apple Studio Display, Apple TV and/or HomePod mini?
And these are only the highlights. More new hardware could be on the way at Apple’s March event. There have been rumors of updated Apple TV hardware, HomePod mini 2 as well as an Apple Studio Display 2.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
