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Apple schedules March 4 hands-on experiences in three cities

Kagi News | 2026-02-16 11:29 UTC | source

🗓️ Apple has invited select media to a “special Apple Experience” on March 4 at 9 a.m. ET, with parallel in-person sessions in New York, London, and Shanghai. Apple hasn’t said whether it will livestream anything publicly, and several outlets say this looks more like a hands-on press briefing than a typical Apple Park keynote 169112842531.

Rumor roundups expect the timing to line up with spring hardware updates across Macs and iPads, including MacBook Air and M5-class MacBook Pro refreshes. Some reports also float a new lower-cost MacBook aimed at students, and the possibility of an iPhone 17e mention among near-term products 16328295.

Apple March event invite shown on an iPhone screen
Apple March event invite shown on an iPhone screen — techradar.com

Sources

  1. Apple's next event is set for March 4 [engadget.com] (2026-02-16)
  2. 5 things to expect at Apple's big event on March 4 — and 5 things that might not make it [techradar.com] (2026-02-16)
  3. Apple sets the date for March 4 event and it could be a big one for Macs [digitaltrends.com] (2026-02-16)
  4. Apple to hold spring launch event in China on March 4 [technode.com] (2026-02-17)
  5. Apple set to unveil new iPhone, MacBooks, iPads at March 4 event [techspot.com] (2026-02-16)
  6. Apple Announces Special Event in New York, London, and Shanghai on March 4 [macrumors.com] (2026-02-16)
  7. Upcoming Low-Cost MacBook May Come in Yellow, Green, Blue, and Pink [macrumors.com] (2026-02-16)
  8. Apple sends out invitation for March 4: iPhone 17e, low-cost Macs, new iPads expected [firstpost.com] (2026-02-17)
  9. Apple Schedules 'Special Experience' in New York, London and Shanghai on March 4 [cnet.com] (2026-02-16)
  10. A ‘Special Apple Experience’ Will Take Place On March 4 [redmondpie.com] (2026-02-16)
  11. Apple books special ‘experiences’ around the globe on March 4 [macworld.com] (2026-02-16)
  12. Low-cost MacBook in ‘fun colors’ leads flurry of upcoming Mac releases [macworld.com] (2026-02-16)
  13. Rumored new low-cost Macbook coming in "fun colors" [boingboing.net] (2026-02-16)
  14. Apple just announced its March event — here’s what could be coming [cultofmac.com] (2026-02-16)
  15. Apple schedules March 4 "special Apple experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai [digitimes.com] (2026-02-17)
  16. The Apple March 4 Experience [macsparky.com] (2026-02-16)
  17. Get ready for new Macs and iPads: Apple announces "Special Experience" on March 4 - Ars Technica [google.com] (2026-02-16)
  18. Upcoming Low-Cost MacBook May Come in Yellow, Green, Blue, and Pink - MacRumors [google.com] (2026-02-16)
  19. Apple’s Budget MacBook Could Launch in a Rainbow of Colors [androidheadlines.com] (2026-02-16)
  20. The Invite Colors Say It All — Apple's Low-Cost MacBook Is Coming March 4 [androidheadlines.com] (2026-02-16)
  21. Apple Announces Press ‘Experience’ for March 4 [512pixels.net] (2026-02-16)
  22. iPads, MacBook Air, and Apple TV -- everything Apple has ever launched in March [appleinsider.com] (2026-02-16)
  23. Out of the park: The March 4 event may not be all that special [appleinsider.com] (2026-02-16)
  24. Apple is having an event on March 4, maybe for iPhone 17e & M5 MacBook Pro [appleinsider.com] (2026-02-16)
  25. Apple special event announced for March 4 [9to5mac.com] (2026-02-16)
  26. Could the low-cost MacBook be the new iBook? [9to5mac.com] (2026-02-16)
  27. Apple could launch a new entry-level MacBook in March (along with new MacBook Pro and Air models) [liliputing.com] (2026-02-16)
  28. Get ready for new Macs and iPads: Apple announces "Special Experience" on March 4 [arstechnica.com] (2026-02-16)
  29. New iPhone, iPads, and Macs? Apple Announces March 4 Event [pcmag.com] (2026-02-16)
  30. Apple's Low-Cost MacBook May Launch Next Month in New Bright Colors [pcmag.com] (2026-02-16)
  31. Apple to host a special experience on March 4. What might happen. [mashable.com] (2026-02-16)

Highlights

  1. China host city: Apple’s invitations show Shanghai will host an in-person launch session on March 4, which TechNode calls the first time Apple has staged a spring launch event in China. TechNode also puts the start time at 10 p.m. Beijing time 46.
  2. Budget MacBook: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (as cited by multiple outlets) says Apple has tested a low-cost MacBook “well under $1,000” with an aluminum chassis, a just-under-13-inch display, and an iPhone chip (potentially A18 Pro) to keep costs down 712261930.
  3. Colorful lineup: Reported test colors for the low-cost MacBook include light yellow, light green, blue, and pink, with silver and dark gray also mentioned. Sources caution that not all colors may ship 7123019.
  4. IPhone wildcard: Some coverage also points to an iPhone 17e as a possible announcement, with Ars saying it could use an A19 chip and add MagSafe. Multiple rumor roundups list it among near-term products 286295.
  5. Event listing clue: Mashable notes that, at the time of its write-up, the “experience” didn’t appear on Apple’s official Events page—another hint this may not be framed like a standard public keynote 31.
MacBook Pro M5
MacBook Pro M5 — engadget.com

Perspectives

Apple (invite details): Apple’s invitation doesn’t share an agenda beyond calling March 4 a “special Apple Experience.” It also features a 3D Apple logo built from yellow, green, and blue elements—an unusual look compared with typical keynote branding 6.

AppleInsider (scale expectations): AppleInsider says the outside–Apple Park, multi-region setup suggests a smaller, hands-on briefing—meant to put something in reporters’ hands—rather than a blockbuster stage presentation 23.

TechRadar (format guess): TechRadar describes the “experience” as a possible blend of online announcements and guided, in-person hands-on sessions for attendees 2.

Gurman/Bloomberg via multiple outlets (product thrust): Multiple publications cite Mark Gurman’s reporting that Apple is preparing a lower-cost MacBook in playful colors, aimed at students and enterprise users, alongside a broader wave of Mac refreshes 7.

Historical Background

Apple usually unveils new hardware through tightly choreographed keynotes from its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California [common]. But several outlets note that Apple has also leaned on smaller “experience” gatherings in recent years—such as a January 2026 session tied to its Creator Studio—to give press hands-on time without a traditional keynote 2211.

A rumored move toward an iPhone-chip MacBook would also fit Apple’s longer-term push to design its own silicon for Macs, a shift it began rolling out widely in 2020 as Apple Silicon replaced Intel chips across much of the lineup [common].

Timeline

1
February 16
Apple sends media invites for a March 4 “Apple Experience” 4625.
2
March 4
Simultaneous in-person sessions are scheduled in New York, London, and Shanghai 69.
3
Week of March 2
Gurman says hardware announcements could arrive as early as then 1.

Action Items

Did you know? MacRumors says the rumored bright palette would be Apple’s most colorful laptop lineup since the late-1990s iBook G3 era 7.