Six Products to Look Forward to at Apple’s March Keynote.
If you follow tech news, you’re probably familiar with Apple’s two major annual events: WWDC in June, where the company unveils new OS updates ( like iOS 26 ), and the fall event, where it typically announces the latest iPhone models. But while these are Apple’s most well-known events, they’re not the only ones. The company also holds various events mid-year to announce new products, especially if they’re not the latest flagship iPhone models. The March event is just the latest example.
Apple will host this special event on Wednesday, March 4, live from New York City. While we won’t know exactly what the company has in store until it makes its announcements, there are plenty of rumors from insiders who seem pretty confident in their reports. Here are six products we expect to see at Apple’s March event:
Apple will replace the iPhone 16e with the new iPhone 17e.
The iPhone 16e is Apple’s go-to option for buyers wanting the basic iPhone experience without spending nearly $1,000. The iPhone 17e will likely continue this tradition, with only minor improvements over its predecessor. However, the display is unlikely to be one of them. Rumors suggest Apple will retain the same 6.1-inch display with a lower 60Hz refresh rate. And despite the OLED panel, the 17e likely won’t have an Always-On Display. Again, Apple is skimping on the “e” series to keep costs down. However, Apple may improve the camera cutout on the 17e by adding a Dynamic Island display, like the latest flagship iPhones.
The most significant improvement for the 17e is likely to be the A19 chip, the same SoC Apple installed in the iPhone 17 series. This is the advantage: you get the power of the iPhone 17 without paying more. I expect Apple to keep the $599 price tag of the 16e, meaning you’ll save $200 by skipping the iPhone 17.
Apple will introduce an iPad with an A18 processor and an iPad Air with an M4 processor.
Rumor has it that Apple will also update the base iPad model, as well as the iPad Air. However, you wouldn’t know it from the design, as insiders believe both iPads will look identical to the current models. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however: Apple’s latest iPad models have a modern look, with large, edge-to-edge displays and thin bezels. If Apple were to reduce the bezels even further, there would be little room to hold the iPad without accidentally touching the screen.
The advantage of the new iPads is power: the base iPad model will receive an upgrade from the A16 chip to the A18, the same chip found in the iPhone 16 series. This should provide decent performance, especially considering the price, assuming Apple maintains the starting price of $349. The iPad Air, on the other hand, will likely upgrade from the M3 to the M4. The M4 is more powerful than the M3 , but that’s not necessarily a reason to upgrade from the current Air to the new one. However, it could be a good option for those upgrading from an older iPad Air model—though iPadOS isn’t the most demanding software.
We’ll soon see Apple’s first “cheap” MacBook.
Apple’s MacBook Air is a great buy for $999, and it’s even better with a discount . But it looks like the company is preparing to introduce an even better deal. It’s announcing a new MacBook —likely simply called “MacBook”—that will start at $599. To keep the price down, the company is rumored to use the A-series chip from the iPhone lineup rather than the M-series chips used in all current Apple Macs—possibly the A18 Pro. This laptop may also feature a smaller 12.9-inch display compared to the Air’s 13.6-inch screen, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. That’s not much by today’s standards, as all Apple MacBooks come with 16GB of RAM by default, but it could be a good deal for users who want a lower price and don’t mind the performance penalty.
To attract even more buyers, Apple may introduce new colors for this MacBook line , including light yellow, light green, blue, and pink. Apple’s MacBooks don’t typically come in bright colors, so this could add a touch of novelty and encourage buyers to buy them. This definitely interests me: I usually only buy MacBook Pros, but if I could get a light blue MacBook to match my iMac, I’d consider it.
MacBook Air with M5 processor expected.
Apple will likely use this opportunity to introduce a MacBook Air with the M5 processor . This won’t be a spectacular upgrade: aside from the jump from the M4 to the M5, the computer will essentially remain the same. It will continue to come in 13- and 15-inch variants with the same overall design. However, new buyers will likely notice improved graphics and NPU performance, even compared to the M4. CPU performance is also improved, though not as dramatically. Nevertheless, the MacBook Air with the M5 could be the best MacBook option for those looking for the best balance of power and price.
Apple will introduce the M5 Pro and M5 Max models along with the new MacBook Pro.
But for those looking for the most powerful MacBooks, regardless of price, Apple’s new MacBooks with M5 Pro and M5 Max processors should be just the ticket. They will be the successors to the MacBook Pro with the M5 processor , and while exact performance figures are still unknown, they are expected to be Apple’s most powerful processors to date. As with some other Apple updates this year, rumors don’t point to any design changes, so overall, the laptops should look and feel pretty much the same—except for the performance boost.