It's nearly time for Apple's annual spring product refreshes. The tech giant has scheduled an event for Wednesday, March 4, inviting members of the media to New York, London and Shanghai for a "special Apple Experience" starting at 9 a.m. ET.
Apple's invites often contain clues about what might be revealed at the event. Last September's Awe-Dropping event invite teased the new vapor chamber cooling system for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models and a new pumpkin color.
The March 4 event invite features a three-dimensional shape composed of thinly sliced yellow, green and blue glass. A popular theory says it's a nod toward the retro rainbow apple logo from previous Mac branding, meaning new colorful MacBooks could be a part of the show.
Evidence suggests a bevy of new Apple products will make an appearance this year. New MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, iPhones and iPads could arrive with high-performance Apple silicon during this annual product update. Apple is also rumored to debut a few completely new products in its MacBook lineup, but it's less likely we'll see them at this event. If you're hoping for more radical product redesigns, you'll probably have to wait until September.
Get ready for new MacBooks and iPhones and iPads, oh my! Here's everything that we're expecting from Apple's March 4 event.
It's spring refresh season, which means the MacBook Pro is likely to get performance upgrades in the form of M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Lori Grunin/CNETMacBook chipset refreshes (and maybe something entirely different)
We're expecting a whole host of new MacBook computers throughout 2026, but it's unclear whether they'll all be showcased during Apple's next event -- especially since several of the rumored products appear slated for release in the second half of the year. You should expect chip refreshes for the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, as well as a few surprises.
The bread and butter of this spring season product update will likely be the MacBook Pros. The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro is already available, which means it's just about time for higher-powered MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips to make their debut. We expect to see chipset upgrades for the standard 14- and 16-inch models during this event.
The MacBook Air is also rumored to get an M5 chip upgrade during the first half of 2026. While it may not hit store shelves as early as the new MacBook Pros, we might see Apple announce it during the March event.
It's less likely (but still possible) that we'll see the rumored budget MacBook or the first OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro. These products are supposedly coming later in the year, so Apple might not showcase them during the March event.
The follow-up to the iPhone 16E could offer performance upgrades at the same price.
James Martin/CNETA familiar addition could round out the iPhone 17 lineup
Apple's annual iPhone unveiling happens in September, so we've had nearly half a year to get acquainted with the iPhone 17 lineup (including the new iPhone Air). But the company's budget-friendly iPhone offering is expected during this spring refresh cycle, once the initial hype cycle starts to die off. The iPhone 16E was revealed this time last year, and rumors indicate the iPhone 17E will almost certainly be an upgrade over that device.
The iPhone 17E would replace the iPhone 16E while potentially maintaining the same $599 price. It's been reported that the new iPhone could ship with an A19 processor, MagSafe technology and a Dynamic Island design, which debuted in 2022 with the iPhone 14 Pro.
The 11th-gen iPad was a simple upgrade over its predecessor, featuring more storage and a faster chip. We expect much the same of the 12th-gen iPad.
Scott Stein/CNETA new generation of iPads could integrate familiar technology
It's been a year since the 11th-gen iPads were released with their A16 processors. We expect Apple to give these devices a solid performance overhaul for the March event, introducing a new generation of iPads with more powerful chipsets. The iPad Air is also due to be updated with a new processor soon, and it's extremely possible that we'll see that come to fruition during Apple's March event.
The 12th-generation iPads are rumored to feature A18 processors, making them the first in Apple's tablet lineup to support Apple Intelligence features.
The iPad Air is rumored to skip an M3 chipset upgrade. Instead, we expect to see an M4 processor in the spring refresh of this product, and there's a very strong chance it's showcased alongside the 12th-gen iPads during the March 4 event.
Be sure to check back with CNET on March 4 for full coverage of everything Apple announces at the event.
