Apple March event: 5 biggest products to expect (and 2 to not)

I wouldn't buy anything Apple right now, as a range of all-new products will be on the way during Apple's March announcements. In fact, instead of a usual live event on a single day, this year looks different, as we're preparing for a slew of announcements over three days.

Kicking off on Monday, March 2, and continuing onto a big event taking place on Wednesday, March 4, Apple is expected to drop several announcements for its anticipated low-cost MacBook, iPhone 17e and more. This comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, with the final day held for an "Apple Experience" for hands-on testing.

Expect: Low-cost MacBook with A18 Pro

Tim Cook standing next to MacBook Air M2 — (Image credit: Getty Images)

This is expected to be the highlight of the show, seeing as it's Apple's first MacBook without an "Air" or "Pro" moniker in years. It's looking to be a low-cost MacBook to take on the budget range of laptops — like Chromebooks and cheap Windows notebooks.

We've heard that a budget MacBook will be coming in March, which is expected to come equipped with an A18 Pro chip (the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro), a slightly smaller display than the usual 13 inches found on the Air models and a price "well under $1,000," as Gurman claims.

Many reports indicate pricing could be between $599 and $799, which makes sense, considering the MacBook Air M4 is priced at $999. Although this often dips, dropping to as low as $749. So, it's likely we're looking at a cheap MacBook for around $599 to $699.

Otherwise, we can also expect a bunch of exciting colors like Apple's iMac range. For now, expected colors include light yellow, light green, blue, pink, classic silver, and dark gray. Fittingly, the Apple logo for the March event comes in these colors (aside from pink, and the usual silver and dark gray).

As Gurman notes, the Apple invitation is for an "experience" to allow press and content creators to go hands-on with a fresh product. And since this will be an all-new laptop compared to the other products expected, there's enough reason to believe this will be the Cupertino tech giant's big announcement.

Expect: iPhone 17e

iPhone 17e concept render by AorS Mobile — (Image credit: AorS Mobile / YouTube)

Despite this looking to be a very MacBook and iPad-heavy Apple event, Gurman does note the iPhone 17e is a likely contender to be announced, and leaks have claimed it will arrive early next week.

With the iPhone 16e launching in mid-February last year, all signs are pointing to another low-cost iPhone. This time, sporting an A19 chip as on the iPhone 17, support for Wi-Fi 7 with an upgraded C1X modem and a Dynamic Island cutout. Otherwise, this won't be a major upgrade over its predecessor.

We may also see MagSafe charging make an appearance, which would be a huge benefit over the 16e. However, the 17e is looking to be an upgraded model of Apple's low-cost phone, giving potential buyers a more affordable way to enter the Apple ecosystem.

With Apple looking to extend its usual event over the course of three days, it makes sense that it has one day dedicated to the iPhone, with the others more in line with MacBook and iPad announcements. Speaking of...

Expect: MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max

We've already seen the MacBook Pro M5 make its debut last year, and we've been anticipating the follow-up with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips ever since. These new 14- and 16-inch models were expected to arrive at the start of 2026, but now they are well overdue.

Don't expect a major overhaul here; the MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max should be simple chip upgrades, keeping the same design and other internal specs. For the chips themselves, we should see up to a 14-core CPU for M5 Pro and a 16-core for M5 Max, along with up to a 20-core GPU for M5 Pro and a 40-core for M5 Max.

Interestingly, M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips found in an iOS beta, which could mean two things: Apple is releasing MacBook Pro M5 Max and M5 Ultra models, or A Mac Studio with M5 Ultra is on the way.

They've been a long time coming, but there's another MacBook that should be on everyone's radar.

Expect: MacBook Air M5

MacBook Air 13-inch M4 shown on tabletop — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple loves routine, and the MacBook Air M5 should be on the cards. Since the MacBook Air M4 launched in March, all signs are pointing towards a refresh, this time with an upgraded M5 chip — but not much else.

We've previously reported that the MacBook Air M5 models would launch in spring 2026, both 13- and 15-inch, and the stars have aligned with the big March event. Gurman also bets we'll see an all-new MacBook Air, so it's worth putting this on your bingo card.

With the M5 chip, we'll see new architectural changes to the GPU cores with neural accelerators and the higher memory bandwidth over M4, and considering the mighty performance that the MacBook Pro with M5 offers, the next MacBook Air is already looking to be the best laptop for most.

Expect: iPad Air M4 (and iPad 12?)

iPad Air M3 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Just like the MacBook Air, the iPad Air is also due for an upgrade. The iPad Air M4 is a very likely candidate during the March announcements, with a major boost in performance over the iPad Air M3.

The latest iPad Air also launched in March last year, so it makes sense that Apple continues its update cycle, considering it's not expected to be a major revamp in design and just a chip upgrade. But that's not the only iPad that was released in March.

Gurman also predicts we'll see a next-gen entry-level iPad, since the iPad 11 released alongside the iPad Air in 2026 (though this was in a press release, rather than a live keynote event). There's a strong chance we'll see this, and interestingly, the iPad 12 is expected to boast an A18 chip. That said, some rumors believe it will sport an A19 chip.

In any case, while we expect the same design, the boost from the A18/A19 chip should see the base iPad finally come with Apple Intelligence. Another reported upgrade is the iPad 12 moving to 8GB of RAM, compared to the usual 6GB.

There are a lot of potential launches on Apple's plate, hence the three-day lineup of announcements. With that being the case, there are some products that may be left on the sidelines (for now).

Don't expect: Mac Studio and Studio Display

Apple Mac Studio M4 Max review unit on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Since we've seen hints of an M5 Ultra chip, there's a strong chance that there will be a new Mac Studio with M5 Ultra in the near future, and there's also been word of two new Studio Display monitors coming in 2026. However, with the number of products already lining up to be revealed, these may be reserved for a later date

According to Gurman, while Apple's next Studio Displays are ready to ship, the new Mac Studios are still a little behind. So, the Cupertino company may be waiting to release these a little later in the first half of 2026, possibly during Apple's WWDC event.

There have also been rumors of an iMac and a Mac mini refresh, and if this is the case, it's more likely Apple will bundle these announcements later on, seeing as they are part of the same family of Mac devices.

But who knows; Apple may roll out the red carpet for a huge range of devices this March, with a Mac Studio and Display being the likely candidates. However, there's one device I can almost guarantee we won't see, despite rumors swirling around it.

Don't expect: Apple AI Glasses

Apple Glasses render — (Image credit: Martin Hajek/iDropnews))

Recently, Apple's AI push has been in the spotlight, with Gurman stating we should see three AI wearables coming to the company's lineup of products. One of them is Apple AI Glasses, which have been tipped to arrive as early as 2026. However, not until the end of the year.

While Apple is looking to catch up to the likes of Meta's Ray-Ban and Google's Android XR, this will be a major new launch for the company, so we're looking to see a whole event reserved for these specs. Also noteworthy are Apple's AR smart glasses, although these aren't expected to arrive until at least 2028.

Expect smart glasses (along with potential wearables like its AI Pendant and AirPods with speakers) at a later date. Right now, we have all-new MacBooks, iPads and a low-cost iPhone to look forward to this March.

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Darragh is Tom’s Guide’s Computing Editor and is fascinated by all things bizarre in tech. His work can be seen in Laptop Mag, Mashable, Android Police, Shortlist Dubai, Proton, theBit.nz, ReviewsFire and more. When he's not checking out the latest devices and all things computing, he can be found going for dreaded long runs, watching terrible shark movies and trying to find time to game

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