Apple prepares three day wave of new product launches

Monday 02 March 2026 - 09:33

By: Dakir Madiha

Apple prepares three day wave of new product launches

Apple is preparing one of its most intensive early year launch cycles in recent memory, with a three day series of announcements scheduled to begin on Monday, March 2 and run through Wednesday, March 4. Rather than staging a traditional keynote, the company is expected to reveal new hardware and chips through press releases and online materials, before culminating with in person “Special Apple Experience” events for invited media in New York, London and Shanghai on the final day. Apple chief executive Tim Cook signalled the start of what he described as a “big week” in a recent post on X, confirming that new products will be unveiled from Monday morning.

Reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman indicates that Apple intends to introduce at least five products during this three day window, spanning updates to the Mac, iPhone and iPad lines. Leaks and analyst notes point to a new low cost MacBook as one of the most likely centrepieces, with the laptop expected to undercut existing MacBook pricing in order to compete more directly with Chromebooks and entry level Windows devices. The machine is rumoured to use one of Apple’s A series processors instead of the Mac focused M series chips and to ship in several colours that echo the yellow, green and blue palette seen on Apple’s event invitations. Gurman has argued that the inclusion of these colours and the promise of hands on time for guests suggest a fresh hardware design rather than a minor internal refresh.

On the iPhone side, several reports say Apple is readying the iPhone 17e, the next model in its more affordable e series range. The device is widely expected to retain a mid range price while adopting newer chips, improved 5G connectivity through an in house modem and support for features such as MagSafe that have been standard on higher tier iPhones. The launch timing would keep Apple on its usual cadence of refreshing the e series between major flagship generations, giving customers a lower cost entry point into the current ecosystem.

Apple is also anticipated to use the week to extend Apple silicon further across its Mac lineup. Multiple leaks suggest new MacBook Air models powered by the M5 chip are on the way, delivering a performance bump over current versions while maintaining the thin and light design that targets students and mobile professionals. At the higher end, refreshed MacBook Pro configurations with M5 Pro and M5 Max processors are expected to focus on faster CPU and GPU performance, higher memory bandwidth and better sustained speeds for workloads such as video editing, software development and 3D rendering. These machines would serve as an interim step ahead of a larger MacBook Pro redesign that some analysts do not expect until 2027.

The iPad family is also likely to feature in the three day rollout. Rumours indicate that Apple is preparing a 12th generation entry level iPad built around an A18 chip, potentially with support for the company’s Apple Intelligence features, alongside a new iPad Air that moves up to the M4 processor. These updates would further align the iPad range with Apple’s current chip roadmap, offering clearer performance tiers between basic, mid range and Pro tablets. Some reports also leave open the possibility of additional products such as updated Studio Displays, a new Apple TV or a refreshed HomePod mini, though these are viewed as less certain than the core Mac, iPhone and iPad updates.

Beyond the products themselves, Apple’s decision to stagger announcements over three days and replace a headline keynote with press materials plus regional hands on sessions signals a broader shift in its launch strategy. Commentators note that the company has increasingly leaned on Newsroom posts and pre recorded videos instead of live stage events, and a “three day blitz” gives Apple more space to spotlight each device while keeping attention on its ecosystem for the entire week. Retail staff have reportedly been told to prepare for heavy store traffic and constrained stock of outgoing models, a pattern that often precedes major hardware refreshes. With rival manufacturers such as Samsung already introducing their own 2026 flagships, Apple’s early March schedule positions it to compete quickly for consumer spending at the start of the year.