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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- iPhone 17e and iPad Air debuted March 2, up of the March 4 event.
- Tim Cook confirmed caller products would commencement rolling retired March 2.
- More Mac and iPad models are expected earlier Wednesday's event.
While rumors person agelong been swirling that Apple is moving connected some benignant of iPad and Mac launch this spring, determination is yet a confirmation and, much importantly, a day to spell on with it. Apple past week sent retired invitations to an lawsuit scheduled for March 4 astatine 9 a.m. successful New York.
And today, the institution announced the motorboat of an iPhone 17e and a caller iPad Air with an upgraded M4 processor. This announcement came aft Apple's CEO Tim Cook confirmed connected societal media past week that caller products volition beryllium announced starting connected Monday, March 2.
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The invitations for the March 4 lawsuit went retired to members of the media and featured a layered-glass Apple logo beforehand and center, its three-dimensional signifier reminiscent of some older Mac branding and Apple's Liquid Retina show connected iOS.
What to expect
Rumors astir what Apple plans to denote this outpouring person been swirling for months, and if past years are immoderate indication, you tin expect astatine slightest 1 caller MacBook to articulation the caller iPad Air and iPhone 17e.
1. More almighty MacBooks (and a cheaper one)
I'm expecting a bully fig of caller Apple products successful 2026, though not each are apt to beryllium announced during the March 4 event.
Also: MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air: We tested some models, and here's which 1 to bargain successful 2026
According to the rumor mill, Apple is moving connected a caller budget-friendly MacBook, a caller MacBook Air with M5, and MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max.
2. Studio Display with Mini LED?
Apple archetypal launched the Studio Display successful 2022, and it's held up arsenic a worthy show for consumers, creators, and professionals alike, some astatine location and successful the office. Which is wherefore a successor adjacent week would marque a batch of sense.
While the plan and wide signifier origin of the caller show volition apt beryllium akin to its predecessor, Apple whitethorn integrate a caller Mini LED sheet beneath the glass, allowing the Studio Display 2 to present brighter, higher-contrast imagery. It'll request an updated chipset to optimize for these capabilities, too, arsenic the existing A13 Bionic apt won't chopped it.
3. A touchscreen Mac?
The biggest MacBook rumor, however, whitethorn not travel existent during the March 4 announcement. While consumers person been wide expecting a touchscreen MacBook from Apple, astir sources accidental it isn't expected until astatine slightest precocious 2026.
However, Tim Cook's societal media post hints astatine touchscreen Mac interaction, and a touchscreen demo acquisition is simply a compelling crushed to clasp an in-person lawsuit for what has traditionally been a digital-only release. As a result, we whitethorn spot a touchscreen MacBook oregon show teased oregon announced this week.
4. iPad 12
On the iPad side, Apple is inactive rumored to merchandise an A18 basal model, the 12th-generation iPad, to articulation the iPad Air with M4.
While it's imaginable Apple could hold the caller iPad 12 release, putting the A18 Bionic spot connected the iPad would yet bring Apple Intelligence to Apple's base-model tablet. This would bring Apple's AI features to a broader audience, specifically those successful the marketplace for the most affordable iPad.
What has Apple announced truthful far?
On Monday, Apple began announcing products up of its scheduled event, including a caller "entry-level" iPhone and iPad Air.
1. iPad Air with M4
The latest iPad Air features upgraded processing power, larger representation bandwidth, an improved Center Stage camera, and faster connectivity with N1 and C1X, the chips successful the iPad Pro M5.
The 11-inch iPad Air starts astatine the aforesaid $599 terms arsenic the erstwhile exemplary with an M3 processor, portion the 13-inch starts astatine $799. Apple is opening preorders for the iPad Air with M4 and the iPhone 17e connected March 4, with wide availability connected March 11.
2. iPhone 17e
Apple besides released the iPhone 17e, though it doesn't diagnostic the Dynamic Island, which was rumored to beryllium successful the works. Rumors had narrowed the iPhone 17e's merchandise day to aboriginal 2026.
Also: The iPhone 17e is here: 6 ways Apple conscionable upgraded its cheapest phone
The iPhone 17e features a binned mentation of the A19 chip, a 48MP rear camera, MagSafe support, and 256GB of storage, starting astatine $599.
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