First Apple event for 2026 set for March 4th; iPhone 17e, affordable MacBook expected
Apple has scheduled its first event of 2026 — a special “Apple Experience” – for March 4th at 9 am ET (7.30 pm IST), with media sessions planned in New York, London, and Shanghai. The company, as usual, hasn’t revealed, what it plans to show, and the invite simply calls it an “experience,” a term Apple has used before for smaller, media briefings rather than large launch events.
The invite artwork offers a hint. There’s a white background and against it sits a three-dimensional Apple logo made up of segmented discs in yellow, green, and blue — a shift from the company’s usual silver and grey palette. Those colours match shades Apple has reportedly tested for its long-rumoured low-cost MacBook. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman tweeted about the overlap, noting that the light green, blue, and yellow tones in the invite line up with prototypes he reported on.
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The wording on the invite is minimal, asking the media to attend in person, and there’s no mention of a live stream. That format follows a pattern Apple has been testing of late. Similar briefings were held in Mumbai for the iPhone 16e and in London for the M4 iPad Pro, where the emphasis was on early access rather than stage presentations.
The announcement timing fits Apple’s usual spring window for Mac and iPad updates, separate from its September iPhone launches and the June WWDC developer conference. Reports suggest products to be unveiled include the iPhone 17e, MacBook Pro systems with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, an M5 MacBook Air, and a lower-cost MacBook powered by an A18-series chip. The iPad lineup is also expected to change, with an eighth-generation iPad Air moving to an M4 chip and the base iPad likely shifting to an A18 processor. Supply chain reports have also mentioned a refreshed Studio Display, a new Apple TV, and an updated HomePod mini. The iPhone 17e was earlier rumoured to be announced this week itself, but fresh reports say it could be unveiled with the Macs.
Apple’s event also comes less than a week after Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked on February 25th, which will expectedly introduce the flagship Galaxy S26 series phones and related devices.
The long-rumoured lower-cost MacBook would mark a shift in Apple’s lineup when it arrives. The MacBook Air is currently the entry point to macOS at Rs 99,990 in India, and it still costs more than many Windows laptops from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and ASUS. A more affordable model using an A-series chip could appeal to students and first-time laptop buyers, especially in markets such as India and Southeast Asia where price remains a barrier. The iPhone 17e would target a similar segment, competing with upper mid-range Android phones from Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Vivo. Anyone considering a MacBook Air, entry-level iPad, or Apple TV may should wait for Apple to confirms its new lineup and maybe even wait for older models to receive price cuts.
