Next week, Apple will do something about it. In mid-February, the company sent out invitations to U.S. media for a “special Apple experience” in New York. It’s worth noting that Apple doesn’t call it an “event,” and there’s no mention of the livestream on the company’s website — both of which suggest it’s a larger keynote and demonstration. The experience will take place on March 4th, but we’re pretty sure we’ll hear an announcement before then. Reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and others, as well as tweets from Apple CEO Tim Cook, confirm that a product is definitely on the way, and what happened on Wednesday was likely a way for the media to try out the new product.
It’s almost certain that the new MacBook will likely arrive in a colorful, lower-cost form factor that will represent a new category after the MacBook Air and Pro models. We may also see new iPads, maybe even an entry-level iPhone 17e.
An affordable new MacBook
One of the most reliable Apple prognosticators, Mark Gurman BloombergIt said in early February that we would be conducting a “2026 product blitz.” According to reports, the onslaught will start with a new category of MacBooks, a colorful range of budget laptops. The new machine will be aimed at students and organizations that need to purchase a large number of laptops for their employees.
Gurman said potential colors would be yellow, green, pink and blue, as well as the silver and dark gray seen on other MacBooks. This color choice is reminiscent of the desktop iMac, and is currently available in seven shades. It also makes one wonder if the yellow, blue, and green Apple logos on the event invitation are subtle hints at these new machines.
Most guesses put the price of the new laptops at between $600 and $700. To hit that price point, the new MacBook will reportedly borrow A-series chips from its iPhone sibling and feature a sub-13-inch screen. It may also have fewer ports than the MacBook Air, but it should maintain the solid build quality Apple laptops are known for. Gurman said the new manufacturing process will allow Apple manufacturers to more economically forge aluminum casings, meaning buying a cheaper MacBook doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a laptop with a plastic casing.
Tech Radar points to code leaks that suggest storage will be 512GB, the keyboard won’t be backlit, and the screen will lack True Tone technology, which senses ambient light and adjusts the intensity and color of the display accordingly. But for a MacBook priced under $700, expect some compromises.
Other expected MacBook releases include 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros running the latest M5 chip. The new processor is already built into the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro, but now we’ll see it in the 16-inch model as well as in upgraded configurations. If the rumors are true, power users will be able to choose between the M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, which will replace the supercharged M4 option. If Apple follows its usual upgrade cycle pattern, new MacBook Air models will also be upgraded to the M5 chip.
Newer iPad
The iPad Pro was upgraded to the M5 chip when the new model was released in October, so it’s unlikely we’ll see any new features there. But both the base model iPad and iPad Air were updated a year ago, so we could see chip upgrades in both models.
Gurman reports that the iPad will use the A18 chip, which is a qualitative leap over last year’s A16 chip. This is the same processor used in the iPhone 16, the first phone to support Apple Intelligence. It’s no secret that the A16 iPad doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, so this update could mean that even the new, most affordable Apple tablet will be able to generate emojis, offer writing suggestions, summarize notifications, suggest email responses, transcribe audio recordings, and more.
The iPad Air will also feature a new chip, the M4, but neither tablet will feature any major design changes. The base iPad and iPad Air will reportedly continue to use current LED screens, but if a new iPad mini is launched, rumors suggest it will (eventually) come with a new OLED display.
Entry-level iPhone 17e
In February last year, Apple launched the iPhone 16e, an affordable model that supports Apple Intelligence, but has only one camera and does not support MagSafe. This is the first numbered entry-level phone series, replacing the iPhone SE, which Apple last updated in 2022.
The new iPhone 17e is rumored to be equipped with an A19 chip (the same as the standard iPhone 17) and support MagSafe charging. Some leaks suggest the phone will feature dynamic islands to replace the notch, but others have dismissed the speculation. Most reports agree that the 17e will still only have a single camera and will still start at $599, the same price as the previous “e” phone.
New Siri, Home Pod with screen, and foldable iPhone
Many people are looking forward to Apple launching a new Siri at the beginning of this year. This would address what many consider a major flaw of Apple by creating a more powerful generation assistant to compete with Google’s Gemini, Open AI’s ChatGPT, and others. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing any information about the new Siri on March 4—according to reports, the Assistant update isn’t ready for release just yet. But Apple confirmed to CNBC that it is still expected to release a new Siri this year.
As for smart home hardware, leaks and rumors suggest a new device is on the way, a smart home hub with a touchscreen, speakers, FaceID and software to support family calendars and other productivity features. Of course, this all depends on a more powerful Siri. Since the Assistant update has been delayed, it’s likely that related smart home devices will be similarly affected.
A foldable iPhone is likely coming soon, but most signs point to a launch later in 2026, so don’t expect to see the new hardware on Wednesday. But maybe we’ll see the classic “one more thing” teaser for the creaseless phone at the end of the event.
