On Monday, Apple announced a product launch event scheduled for March 4 and invited select media to attend in person, which it describes as a “special Apple Experience.” The invite doesn’t offer any details on what to expect, but the company is certainly gearing up to reveal new hardware as it pushes into the heart of its spring product cycle.
Numerous leaks and rumors point to a busy event. On the agenda could be a new MacBook Pro, a new MacBook Air, a brand new budget MacBook, the iPhone 17e, redesigned iPads and possibly more.
Apple March 4th is official—here’s why Mac fans should pay attention
Apple’s decision to hold in-person events in New York, London and Shanghai instead of quietly rolling out the updates through a series of press releases signals that the company likely sees the March 4 announcement as more significant than a routine product update.
In recent years, Apple has often rolled out incremental upgrades — especially to Macs and iPads — through its website with little fanfare. In contrast, holding live meetings in major metropolitan areas suggests that the company believes that news requires focused media attention, hands-on demonstrations, and carefully choreographed work.
It’s possible the company intends to use the event to showcase progress in Apple Intelligence and the long-delayed AI-enhanced Siri. Cupertino has already promised improved productivity tools, more contextual system features and more voice features for its range of operating systems – all powered by AI. They could take the stage next month. The discovery of new AI capabilities would justify personal action.
MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips
Image: Apple
AI speculation aside, the new hardware is a virtual lock for Apple’s March event agenda. This will likely start with the MacBook Pro being upgraded with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The new processors are expected to deliver faster CPU and GPU performance along with improved power efficiency.
However, no remodeling of the exterior 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.
MacBook Air M5
Another highlight of Apple’s March event is likely to be the new version of the MacBook Air with the entry-level M5 processor, which brings the company’s latest silicon innovations to the 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 — no external changes to the sleek chassis of the current MacBook Air are expected. But neither did the price increase. The base model will likely remain at $999.
New cheap MacBooks
Apple is reportedly planning to launch a new low-cost MacBook this year powered by an iPhone chip rather than an M-series processor. The aluminum notebooks, aimed at students and office workers, will reportedly 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 they’ll all ship,” he wrote Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman in Sunday’s edition of his Turn on bulletin.
The entry-level MacBook, codenamed J700, will reportedly come with a smaller display than Apple’s current laptops and will measure “just under 13 inches,” according to Gurman.
Opting to use aluminum rather than resort to plastic, Apple “developed a new manufacturing process that allows the shells to be forged faster,” Gurman wrote. “This technology is designed to be faster and more cost-effective than that used in current Apple laptops.”
Gurman predicted that the low-cost MacBook will launch “as early as March,” so that clearly fits the March 4 date.
After Monday, Gurman pointed out that the colors in Apple’s announcement may indicate that we will see budget laptops.
“It’s worth noting that the three colors on the invite are light green, blue, and yellow — which happen to be the colors Apple tested the low-end MacBook with, as I wrote yesterday,” The gourman continued. “Coincidence? We’ll see.”
Three colors from the invite are worth noting, namely light green, blue and yellow – which happen to be the colors Apple tested the low-end MacBook with, as I wrote yesterday. Chance? we’ll 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 deliver significant gains in computing power and graphics performance, enhancing Mac Studio’s appeal to professionals working in video production, 3D animation, software development and other demanding creative fields.
The improved models are designed to maintain the compact design of the current desktop Mac Studio, while bringing a significant increase in performance.
But with great power comes great bills. The M5 Max/Ultra Mac Studio will likely start around $1,999 and go up from there.
iPhone 17e
It’s possible we’ll see more than Macs at Apple’s March event. If it doesn’t launch by then, the iPhone 17e is another very strong option. (A previous rumor suggested the iPhone 17e would arrive on February 19.)
at launch, we’re expecting a more affordable, slightly shortened member of last year’s iPhone 17 family. Leaks and rumors suggest it could include features missing from last year’s iPhone 16e: Dynamic Island and MagSafe.
The lower entry price is a standout feature of the 16e, so don’t be surprised to see the iPhone 17e stay at $599.
iPad 12
Rumors surrounding the iPad lineup also point to an updated entry-level model that could debut at Apple’s March 4 event. Reports suggest that the entry-level iPad 12 will run on an A18 or A19 chip and include 8GB of RAM, a notable increase aimed at supporting Apple’s Intelligence features and improving overall performance.
Externally, the device is expected to look unchanged while sticking to an affordable starting price of around $350.
M4 iPad Air
Apple could also use its March 4 event to introduce an updated iPad Air, with reports pointing to a direct specification update aimed at adding the M4 processor. If revealed, the iPad Air 2026 would likely retain its current design language, including 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, while offering better performance and efficiency under the hood. Again, we don’t expect any price changes.
More options: Updated Apple Studio Display, Apple TV and/or HomePod mini?
And those are just the most important ones. More new hardware could be on the way at Apple’s March event. There have been rumors of updated Apple TV hardware, the HomePod mini 2, and also the Apple Studio Display 2. Rumor has it that the “HomePad” — a new smart home hub — is unlikely to be revealed, as a smarter Siri is unlikely to be released in early March.
Ed Hardy He has been writing about the technique full-time for 25 years and has been using it for much longer. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but he now uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. It is written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthandas well as other sites.