Apple opens major spring launch with iphone 17e and new ipad air

Tuesday 03 March 2026 - 08:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Apple opens major spring launch with iphone 17e and new ipad air

Apple has opened what it calls its most ambitious spring product rollout by unveiling the iPhone 17e and a refreshed iPad Air as the first devices in a three-day sequence of launches capped by a “special Apple experience” on 4 March in New York, London, and Shanghai. The campaign departs from the company’s traditional single keynote format and instead relies on a series of daily announcements aimed at keeping each product in the spotlight for a full news cycle. Chief executive Tim Cook previewed the week in a post on X, promising “a big week ahead” and sharing a short clip in which the Apple logo appears on what looks like a MacBook, a nod to the laptops that are still expected later in the week.

The iPhone 17e is positioned as the new entry point into the iPhone 17 family at 599 dollars, matching the price of the previous generation while adding more advanced hardware. The handset runs on Apple’s A19 chip and introduces MagSafe charging to the e-series for the first time, narrowing the gap with the flagship line. It also integrates Apple’s second-generation C1X modem to deliver faster 5G performance and improved power efficiency compared with earlier budget models. Apple has doubled the base storage to 256 gigabytes, which is intended to make the device more attractive to buyers who keep their phone for several years and rely on it for photos, video, and apps.

Alongside the phone, Apple introduced a new iPad Air built around the M4 chip, giving the mid-range tablet a performance boost that the company says is aimed at multitasking, gaming, and creative apps. The tablet comes in 11-inch and 13-inch versions, starting at 599 dollars and 799 dollars respectively, and is designed to sit between the basic iPad and the iPad Pro line. The hardware refresh extends Apple’s strategy of pushing its in-house silicon across the product range, while reserving some features such as the highest-end displays and cameras for its most expensive devices.

Attention now turns to the rest of the week, with industry watchers expecting Apple to use Tuesday and Wednesday to focus on its Mac lineup and possibly an entry-level iPad refresh. Reports indicate that a new budget MacBook powered by an A18 Pro processor, the first Mac built around an iPhone-class chip, could headline the remaining launches, accompanied by MacBook Pro models featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips and a MacBook Air with an M5 chip. A 12th-generation base iPad is also said to be in development to update Apple’s lowest-priced tablet offering. The invitation artwork for the 4 March gathering, which shows a three-dimensional Apple logo made up of yellow, green, and blue discs, has been interpreted by some analysts as a hint at color options for the rumored budget MacBook.

The special Apple experience on 4 March will differ from the company’s usual stage presentations at its Cupertino headquarters, as Apple has instead invited selected journalists, creators, and partners to parallel hands-on sessions in New York, London, and Shanghai. No public livestream has been announced, underlining the focus on in-person demonstrations rather than a broadcast keynote, and giving Apple more flexibility to tailor the event to regional media. The multi-city structure allows the company to reach more outlets than would typically travel to California and highlights the importance of the US, UK, and China markets for its 2026 hardware strategy. Pre-orders for the iPhone 17e are scheduled to open at 6:15 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, with retail availability following on 11 March, setting a tight timeline between unveiling and launch.