Apple has sent invitations to select media outlets (but not TidBITS) to announce a “special Apple Experience” in New York, London, and Shanghai on 4 March 2026.
The invitation provides no hints about what attendees might experience. It’s perhaps notable that Apple used “experience” rather than “event,” suggesting something smaller than a full livestreamed keynote. The multi-city format would let Apple provide hands-on time for more journalists than typically fly to Cupertino.
Speculation centers on the rumored low-cost MacBook (the invitation’s colors align with claims of a colorful design), the iPhone 17e, and MacBook Pro upgrades with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Others have suggested that an updated iPad Air and new Apple TV are also possibilities.
Personally, I don’t plan to waste any more brain space on this teaser. The event will happen soon enough, and we’ll cover it then.
FWIW, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. I’m getting ready to replace my old 2011 MacBook Air (now that Firefox Dynasty no longer exists, so I can’t get any more security updates). I was planning to buy a new one at Costco this weekend. But now I’ll wait for that March 4 event, just in case they announce something I’d rather buy instead.
For a journalist, it’s a thrill of sort to break a news story by digging it up yourself. I did that once by being the first to report the discovery of feathered dinosaurs. Being invited to a press conference doesn’t count.
I’m not interested in an “experience,” but I sure would like the perceptually-overdue Apple TV. We purchased an OLED screen at the beginning of last year to reduce energy use and provide some relief for our aging eyes. All the components support 4K, except for the 2020-vintage Apple TV HD that we purchased hurriedly during the pandemic for webinar presentations.
At that time Apple market observers were all advising against replacing that box just then because a new model was “due soon” based on the 3-year interval between releases that Apple had practiced.
Of course, so much else has happened in the world markets this past year that I’m not really irked at Apple. But I’m experiencing the kind of wait-outside-the-Apple-Store energy that I’ve never really felt for an iPhone.
Because it’s not an "Apple Event’. ‘Apple Events’ are hosted in Silicon Valley, and, since Covid, are totally on video. This is a ‘Special Experience’ hosted in 3 cities with a start time too early for Silicon Valley :). You’ll be able to read about it in all the usual places and maybe see some videos produced for it.
I just wonder if they can pull it off to sell this 13" MB with an A18 and say 12/512 for $600.
At that price I’d be tempted to get one in lime green only to later find a reason what actually to use it for. But perhaps 8/256 for $700 is more likely.
That rumor interests me as well. If it proves to be a crippled laptop, like a Chromebook, then it will be a non-starter for me. But if it’s a good entry-level alternative to a MacBook Air (primarily for web browsing, video streaming and Microsoft Office), then I’ll be very interested.
For pricing, my point of comparison is Costco’s $850 price for an entry-level MacBook Air (16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage).
Walmart has had an M1 MBA 8/256 for $600 and dropped that to $500 at times. These are factory fresh MBAs, not refurbs. The A18 Pro has been rumored for quite a while for this budget MB in part because its performance should in general match roughly the M1 still used for that MBA.
That’s right. And exactly one of the reasons this MB has been rumored as the drop-in replacement. Apparently Apple did see a profitable market there. And these rumors assume of course Apple still sees that profitable market. In two weeks time we should know.
But perhaps 8/256 for $700 is more likely.