Apple's March Event: Cheaper MacBooks & New iPhones?

Apple has announced a product launch event, an "Apple Experience," scheduled for March 4, 2026, at 9 AM ET, with reports indicating simultaneous events in NYC, London, and Shanghai. Expectations are high for new hardware, including a rumored more affordable MacBook Air. This laptop might feature an A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM to reduce its price to between $699 and $799.

Further speculation points to updates for MacBook Pro models, possibly equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. These chips are rumored to have a redesigned chiplet structure for improved heat dissipation and increased core counts. The timing aligns with delays in current MacBook Pro M4 Max orders, suggesting an upcoming release.

New iPad models are also anticipated, with the base model possibly receiving an A18 chip upgrade. The iPad Air is expected to get an M4 chip, a significant upgrade. The iPhone 17e is likely to debut, featuring an A19 chip and MagSafe support, with its price expected to remain at $599.

Less certain are potential updates to the Studio Display and Mac Studio, though they could arrive in the first half of the year. A MacBook Air with an M5 chip is also a possibility but less likely for this event. Notably, no Siri refresh is expected, with software updates anticipated at WWDC.