What to Expect Next to the iPhone 17e
Apple is shaking up its playbook with its first hardware release of 2026. CEO Tim Cook recently teased a big week ahead, confirming that announcements will begin to be made on Monday, March 2. Apple is not doing the previously recorded keynote from Cupertino this time.
Instead, the company releases surprising news in a few days, culminating in a “Special Apple Experience” in New York, London and Shanghai on March 4.
Let’s break it down. While the iPhone 17e is getting a lot of attention, Apple is preparing to update almost every corner of its entry-level and mid-range lineup. Here’s what the rumor mill and the supply chain suggest we’ll see next week.
Title: iPhone 17e
Since it is the anchor of the spring program, we should briefly touch on the iPhone 17e. Designed to replace last year’s iPhone 16e, this model is all about bringing modern interiors to the $599 price point.
It is expected to ship with an A19 chip and an advanced C1X home modem for faster wireless connectivity. The physical footprint remains very similar with a 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED display and a single 48MP rear camera.
However, rumors suggest that it may eventually drop the Dynamic Island note. MagSafe support is heavily rumored to return, and the front camera could see a jump to an 18MP sensor with Center Stage.
Wildcard: The Real Budget MacBook
Here’s the thing. Apple has historically avoided the true budget laptop market. That is expected to change next week. The leak largely points to a new, low-cost MacBook specifically designed to compete with cheaper Windows laptops and Chromebooks.
It will reportedly run on the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, skipping the traditional M-series silicon altogether to cut costs. Expect a 12-inch to 12.9-inch LCD screen.
The event invites yellow, green, and blue discs, which insiders believe are a direct alternative to the bright color options of this new laptop. Rumors put the price tag somewhere between $500 and $699.
What this means is that Apple wants a low barrier to entry for students and first-time Mac buyers.
Pro and Air Upgrades: The M5 is Coming
Apple doesn’t leave out its professional and casual computer users. The Mac lineup is due to the next generation of Apple Silicon.
The standard 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models are expected to get the basic M5 chip. This is a pure spec bump that focuses on a 15 to 18 percent speed increase and better battery efficiency.
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are slated to get the heavier M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. No major redesign is expected here, just an unfiltered power upgrade for heavy multitaskers and video editors.
Tablet Update: iPads are smart
The iPad lineup is also getting targeted attention, especially to ensure that all of Apple’s modern tablets can handle the latest software features. The base model of the 12th-Gen iPad is rumored to use the A18 chip. This is the upgrade needed to finally bring Apple Intelligence capabilities to the cheapest iPad.
Meanwhile, the mid-tier iPad Air is expected to jump to the M4 chip, closing the performance gap between the Air and the iPad Pro.
Apple is clearly focused on making its ecosystem more accessible while quietly hammering out details on its hard hitters. The dynamic announcement format means we’ll be getting a constant drip of news from Monday to Wednesday.
Late March: Apple’s Late 2026 Hardware Roadmap
When the spring dust settles, Apple’s focus will shift to its powerful fall lineup dominated by the move to 2nm silicon manufacturing. The iPhone 18 and 18 Pro are expected to debut in September, using this new chip process to enable near-field, on-device AI processing for a more advanced Siri experience.
Alongside the new phones, the Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to bring major health and hardware improvements, including a new blood pressure trend monitor, a reorganization of the eight sensor layout, and the possible addition of Touch ID combined with the side button.
Later this fall, the Mac lineup is set to make a big leap with the launch of OLED MacBook Pro models, which adopt Tandem OLED technology for high brightness and slim chassis designs. As we wrap up the year, we can also see Apple’s bold entry into the smart home market with a HomePod-iPad hybrid that acts as an AI-driven command center.
