Apple has announced a "special Apple Experience" event set for March 4 at 9 a.m. ET, with simultaneous gatherings in New York, London, and Shanghai. The company has not detailed the agenda, but reports suggest possible unveilings of new iPads and MacBooks. It remains unclear if the event will be livestreamed.
Apple sent media invites on February 16, 2026, for its first event of the year, branded as a "special Apple Experience." The gathering is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET on March 4, with versions taking place in New York City, London, and Shanghai. Unlike typical launches at Apple's Cupertino headquarters, this appears to be a smaller-scale affair, featuring an invite with an ombre Apple logo transitioning from yellow to blue.
Apple has not confirmed the event's content or whether it will stream live. Coverage will be available from outlets like Ars Technica in New York City and CNET. The timing coincides with the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona from March 2 to 5, where competitors may announce new devices.
Speculation points to hardware updates. Reports indicate possible announcements of refreshed MacBook Pros in 14- and 16-inch sizes equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, following the base M5 model's debut in a 14-inch MacBook Pro last October. An M5-powered MacBook Air and an entry-level MacBook with an A18 Pro chip are also rumored, the latter potentially in light yellow, light green, blue, and pink colors.
For iPads, expectations include an entry-level model with an A18 chip supporting Apple Intelligence features and an iPad Air upgraded to the M4 chip. Processor enhancements may be the primary changes, though Apple often disables cores on lower-end variants, limiting performance gains.
The iPhone 17e, a budget model with an A19 chip and MagSafe support, has been mentioned in rumors, but some reports suggest a February launch, potentially separate from this event. Pricing for such devices is expected in the $600-800 range. Additional updates to the Mac Studio, Studio Display, and Mac mini are anticipated later in 2026.
