Apple event on March 4: New affordable iPhone, 'budget' MacBook, iPad may launch

Apple

• Apple to hold a major product launch event on March 4.
• New budget MacBook, updated MacBook Pros, and iPads expected.
• Affordable iPhone 17e may debut with A19 chip and MagSafe.

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Apple has confirmed a product launch event, branded an “Apple Experience”, scheduled for March 4 at 9am ET, with in-person gatherings planned in New York, London and Shanghai. While the company has not revealed its agenda, the timing and recent supply chain chatter suggest a busy hardware showcase is on the cards.

As ever, Apple is keeping official details tightly under wraps. Still, a combination of analyst reports and industry leaks offers a reasonably clear picture of what could be unveiled when Apple takes the stage for its first major event of 2026.

A few MacBooks may arrive

One of the more intriguing possibilities is a budget-friendly MacBook aimed below the MacBook Air. Bloomberg reported late last year that Apple was exploring a lower-cost laptop powered by an iPhone-class processor, specifically the A18 Pro. Using a mobile chip rather than Apple Silicon designed for Macs would allow Apple to hit a more aggressive price point, reportedly between $699 and $799.

Rumours suggest the device could ship with 8GB of RAM, a notable departure from Apple’s recent push to make 16GB the baseline across its Mac range. While that would help keep costs down, it may raise eyebrows at a time when AI features are becoming increasingly memory-hungry. Even so, TechRadar has described the laptop as potentially Apple’s biggest Mac launch in years, with initial shipments estimated at up to eight million units.

More predictable, but no less significant, is an update to the MacBook Pro lineup. Apple has already rolled out a MacBook Pro with the base M5 chip, but higher-end M5 Pro and M5 Max variants are widely expected. Mark Gurmanof Bloomberg has pointed to a March launch window, which neatly aligns with the March 4 event.

Reports suggest the new Pro and Max chips could adopt a revised chiplet design to improve thermal performance and manufacturing yields, while also allowing Apple to scale up CPU and GPU core counts. The Max variant, as usual, is expected to push further than the Pro. Adding to the sense that a refresh is imminent, deliveries of current MacBook Pro M4 Max models are reportedly slipping, a familiar sign that stock is being cleared ahead of new hardware.

Two iPads on the cards?

Tablets are also firmly in the rumour mill. Apple is believed to be preparing updates to both the base iPad and the iPad Air. The 12th-generation entry-level iPad is tipped to move from the A16 to the A18 chip, a change that would enable support for Apple Intelligence features. Meanwhile, the iPad Air could make a jump from the M3 to the M4, bringing Apple’s latest Mac-class silicon to an even lighter and more affordable tablet.

Affordable iPhone

There is also the question of the iPhone 17e. Apple introduced the iPhone 16e almost exactly a year ago, and reports suggest a refresh is imminent. Gurman has indicated the 17e could move to the A19 chip and finally add MagSafe support, while keeping the price steady at around $599. That would make it a relatively modest update, but one that keeps Apple’s more affordable iPhone option current.

Beyond these, a handful of products sit on the edge of plausibility. A refreshed Studio Display and an updated Mac Studio have both been rumoured for the first half of the year, though whether they are ready for March remains unclear. An M5-powered MacBook Air is another possibility, but reports suggest Apple may hold that update back for later in 2026.

What seems unlikely is any major software reveal. A long-awaited overhaul of Siri is still expected to debut at WWDC rather than a hardware-focused spring event. For now, March 4 looks set to be about devices, not platforms.