Apple has announced a global “special Apple Experience” for March 4, 2026, with multiple new product launches and a notable shift in its usual event strategy. Apple has invited select media and creators to simultaneous hands‑on events in New York, London, and Shanghai, starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, signaling a major early‑year product push and a break from the company’s traditional Apple Park keynotes. The invitation describes it as a “special Apple experience” and shows a 3D Apple logo made of translucent yellow, green, and blue discs, hinting at a more interactive, demo‑driven format.
The March timing aligns with a busy 2026 hardware pipeline that reportedly includes at least five new devices, led by a budget‑focused iPhone 17e and several new Macs. Apple is expected to debut refreshed MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with next‑generation M‑series chips, plus a new low‑cost MacBook that may use an A18‑class iPhone chip to hit a sub‑$1,000 price point. The rumored budget MacBook is tipped to feature an aluminum body, playful colors such as yellow, pink, and blue, and positioning against Chromebooks and entry‑level Windows laptops. Updates are also anticipated for the iPad lineup, including a new base iPad and iPad Air that could bring Apple Intelligence features and more powerful silicon to lower price tiers.
By staging simultaneous in‑person experiences on three continents instead of a single pre‑produced keynote, Apple is breaking from its recent launch playbook and leaning into more localized, hands‑on storytelling. The scheduling during the same week as Mobile World Congress is likely to pull some spotlight away from the wider smartphone and PC industry and back onto Apple’s ecosystem.
