Apple's big March event live — the all new MacBook Neo has just been introduced, and we're there
The $599 / £599 MacBook is here
The iPhone 17e is here
The iPhone 17e has landed — and as expected, it's a relatively minor upgrade with the same price tag as the iPhone 16e.
The main boost is its new A19 chip, which is the same as the one you'll find in the iPhone 17 (though the iPhone 17 Pro naturally has the more powerful A19 Pro). Apple's also upgraded the phone's wireless charging, adding its own MagSafe standard — which is a step up from the iPhone 16's Qi charging (which was limited to up to 7.5W).
The iPhone 17e's main design is unchanged, and fortunately so is the price tag — it starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 256GB of storage, with pre-orders starting on March 4 (or March 5 in Australia).
Perhaps the only surprise is that the iPhone 17e still doesn't have a Dynamic Island, which it was rumored to get...
- Read the full story: Apple announces the iPhone 17e — here's what's new in the mid-range iPhone
What's new in the M4 iPad Air?
The obvious answer to that question is, of course, the new M4 chip. According to Apple, that makes the new tablet “up to 30 percent faster than iPad Air with M3".
But there are a few other additions besides the new chip. Connectivity is the main story, with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread and Apple's N1 wireless networking chip all packed into the mid-range tablet.
If you go for the cellular version of the tablet, you'll also get Apple's C1X modem — this apparently offers 50% faster cellular performance with 30% less energy use than on the M3 iPad Air.
Otherwise, this is a fairly basic update to the M3 versions, which we called "even better value than their predecessors" this time last year. That could well be the conclusion we reach here too as the M4 iPad Air's price hasn't changed, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch version (Wi-Fi) or $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch model (Wi-Fi).
- Read the full story: Apple just announced a new iPad Air with M4 — here's what's changed
The iPhone 17e looks like decent value
On paper, the iPhone 17e is looking like a very solid bet for upgraders. The base storage now starts at 256GB, which is good considering the phone's price hasn't changed.
Other bonuses include the full MagSafe support and A19 chip (the same as the iPhone 17). The lack of Dynamic Island (with the iPhone 17e retaining the old notch) might disappoint some, as will the 60Hz screen.
But overall, I think it could be popular choice at its starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 (256GB), with the 512GB version costing $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.
A new 'Soft Pink' color for the iPhone 17e
The iPhone 16e strangely only came in two colors (Black or White), which seemed a bit mean considering the iPhone 17 has five colors (Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, and Black).
Well, as you can see above, the iPhone 17e does at least now come in slightly brighter Soft Pink. But will it be the new Cosmic Orange? Well, maybe not quite that ubiquitous, but I'm sure it'll get some fans who want a dash of color.
Will we get a new base iPad?
Apple has announced the new M4 iPad Air, but there's been no news about a refresh of the base iPad yet. So is it still coming?
The 11th-gen iPad was announced almost exactly a year ago, and the rumors confidently predicted that a new version was coming this week with an A18 chip. That would mean Apple's base iPad could finally support Apple Intelligence, among other benefits.
I still feel like a 12th-gen iPad is likely this week — and we do still have two days to go until Apple's official March 4 event, so there's still plenty of time for it to be announced. But with several new MacBooks also expected, it'll likely be a member of the supporting cast...
Those iPhone 17e prices
Let's just confirm those international iPhone 17e prices — as you can see in the table below, they're the same as the iPhone 16e, only this time the base storage starts at 256GB.
That's a pretty tempting deal and compares favorably to the iPhone 17 (which is also in the table below). The main differences between the two are cameras — the iPhone 17 has an 18MP Center Stage front-facing camera, which the 17e lacks, and also two rear cameras rather than one (the 17e is missing an ultra-wide lens).
The 17e also doesn't have the iPhone 17's 120Hz ProMotion display. Personally, I miss the ultra-wide camera the most, but is that worth $200 / £200? I can see why many will plump for the simpler 17e instead.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | US | UK | Aus |
iPhone 17e (256GB) | $599 | £599 | AU$999 |
iPhone 17e (512GB) | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
iPhone 17 (256GB) | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
iPhone 17 (512GB) | $999 | £999 | AU$1,799 |
Will you be buying the iPhone 17e?
So will you be buying the iPhone 17e? Based on the pricing (see post below) and upgrades that include an A19 chip and proper MagSafe wireless charging speeds, it looks like a solid bet if you don't want to splurge on the full iPhone 17.
But let us know in the poll below what you're planning to do...
iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3: what's new?
The new iPad Air M4 has landed, but how exactly does it differ from its M3 predecessor?
The changes are small, and this is very much an incremental update. But there are a few worth knowing about. Beyond that new M4 chip – which Apple says will have a 30% performance boost over the M3 iPad Air – there are also some connectivity boosts, and a 4GB RAM boost (up from 8GB to 12GB).
Those wireless boosts include W-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, which are enabled by Apple's N1 networking chip. If you go for the cellular mode, you also get the C1X modem, which is also found in the iPhone Air. This will apparently give you 50% faster cellular data performance than the iPad Air M3, while using 30% less modem energy.
Pretty minor upgrades all told, but not bad considering the Air M4 is the same price as before. I'll confirm those prices and show how they compare to other iPads for you shortly.
iPad Air M4 pricing – how does it compare?
Interested in buying the new iPad Air M4? I've gathered all of its pricing in the table below, so you can see how all of the models compare. It'll be available for pre-order on March 4, with availability from March 11.
I feel like the sweet spot might be around the 11-inch (256GB, Wi-Fi) version. It's still substantially cheaper than the iPad Pro, whose equivalent 256GB, 11-inch model is $999 / £999 / AU$1,699. But you still get a powerful tablet with Apple Pencil Pro support and enough grunt for photo or video editing.
Of course, you don't get the Pro's glorious Ultra Retina XDR display or M5 chip, but it might just be enough tablet for your needs. Wondering what other discounts are available on existing Apple tech? We've rounded up all the best deals right now on AirPods, iPad and MacBooks.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | US | UK | Aus |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 128GB, Wi-Fi) | $599 | £599 | AU$999 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 256GB, Wi-Fi) | $699 | £699 | AU$1,199 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 512GB, Wi-Fi) | $899 | £899 | AU$1,549 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 1TB, Wi-Fi) | $1,099 | £1,099 | AU$1,899 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 128GB, Wi-Fi +Cellular) | $749 | £749 | AU$1,249 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) | $849 | £849 | AU$1,449 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 512GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) | $1,049 | £1,049 | AU$1,799 |
iPad Air M4 (11-inch, 1TB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) | $1,249 | £1,249 | AU$2,149 |
New Apple Watch bands too
Alongside the iPad Air with M4 and the iPhone 17e, Apple also ushered in its new “Spring Collection” of silicone iPhone cases and crossbody straps, as well as Apple Watch bands. I’m especially fond of this most recent drop, thanks to the vibrant colors, like the pinkish-orange Bright Guava silicone case that can be paired with a matching strap.
You’ll find options for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and the new 17e in various shades, including Electric Lavender, Vanilla, and Anchor Blue.
On the more premium end, there’s a new Néo Tricot Hermès band, as well as new colors for the existing Toile H Double Jeu, En Mer, Scub’H Diving, and Kilim Single Tour bands. You’ll also find a few new shades for the Sport Band and Sport Loop that work with all major Apple Watch models, including the SE, Series 11, and Ultra 3.
Welcome to day two
But Tim Cook did also promise a "a big week ahead", and there are a lot of rumors products to get through — here's what could still land today and tomorrow:
Does the Pixel 10a still beat the iPhone 17e?
Yesterday I was crowing about how the iPhone 17e looks like a great deal for upgraders. But my colleague Lance Ulanoff has raised some good points to prove that we shouldn't rule out the Pixel 10a in the mid-range phone tussle.
As he explains in a helpful pre-review comparison of the iPhone 17e and Pixel 10a, Google's phone does still beat Apple's latest iPhone in a few ways. The Pixel 10a, for example, has a larger 6.3-inch screen that's also brighter with a 3,000-nit peak brightness. It also has an ultra-wide camera, which the iPhone 17e lacks — I have to agree that I'd miss that a lot on Apple's phone.
Arguably the biggest differentiator though is in AI skills. Gemini is definitely ahead of Apple Intelligence at this stage, so that's a potential extra bonus unless Apple really pulls out the stops with iOS 27 in a few months.
Of course, the iPhone 17e has its own advantages, including its A19 chip and MagSafe support, so this is likely to be a close contest — and the deciding factor may still be your favorite OS flavor.
- Read the full story: iPhone 17e looks like a good deal, but the Google Pixel 10a might still have it beat
Will we get MacBooks today?
Obviously knocking out the iPad and iPhone in the same morning means there’s a ton left for Tuesday and Wednesday. A lot of MacBooks.March 2, 2026
The big question now is what Apple might reveal in just over an hour. Yesterday, the iPhone 17e and iPad Air M4 landed at 9am ET / 2pm GMT — and as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noted above, there's potentially a lot of MacBooks to be announced.
These include the new MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max, the MacBook Air M5 and, the one I'm most interested in, the rumored cheaper MacBook with an A18 Pro chip. I'm personally more interested in the Pro series as I run processor-intensive apps like Adobe Lightroom, but I'm fascinated by the concept of a low-cost MacBook with an iPhone processor.
Apple has long kept the MacBook as a relatively premium laptop option, but the Mac mini shows it's prepared to undercut the competition with some serious value, too. If Apple gets that MacBook right, it could be a massive seller.
How might the $699 MacBook stack up?
Let's take a closer look at those low-cost MacBook rumors. As we've previously reported, it would naturally have to ditch some modern features to achieve that price — and the rumors have given us an idea of which ones.
If they're correct, this new MacBook will miss out on Apple's True Tone tech (which dynamically adjusts screen color temperature) and a 1TB storage option, which options supposedly limited to 256GB and 512GB capacities. Both of those make sense to me.
Otherwise, the low-cost MacBook will also apparently lack fast charging, keyboard backlighting and support for high-impedance headphones. Again, those are nice-to-haves, but I can see why they might not have made the cut.
For me, the screen and processor might be the two areas where people consider choosing a higher-end MacBook. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, it will have a "lower-end LCD display". And while the A18 Pro will be fine for basic tasks (its single-core performance beats the M1, for example), it would likely struggle to with more intensive apps and tasks like video editing.
Of course, this is still all based on rumors — but me might not have wait long to see this new MacBook's official specs.
The 10-minute countdown has started...
Yesterday, Apple announced the iPhone 17e and iPad Air M4 at 9am ET / 2pm GMT on the dot — so we could be close to some new announcements.
Of course, Apple might just skip today and announce everything else tomorrow during its scheduled 'experience' day. But I feel like some MacBook news might be imminent – or maybe it'll be a new base iPad...
First up is the MacBook Air. Unsurprisingly, there's no big design change or anything like that here – all the upgrades are internal.
That's not the only internal change, though — and the other change might be the one that really piques your interest. Apple has doubled the amount of internal storage that you get by default, from 256GB to 512GB — and it now maxes out at 4TB in total, if you're willing to pay for it.
However, this change has come with a downside: prices now start at prices $1,099 / £1,099 for the 13-inch version and $1,299 / £1,299 for the 15-inch model. That's $100 more than the M4 version, which might mean that stock of the old version becomes a hot buy for a while…
And then there's the Max…
The new M5 Max starts with an 18-core CPU, just like the M5 Pro, but this time it's connected to a 32-core GPU. It also starts with 36GB of unified memory, and has a memory bandwidth of 460GB/s, compared with a measly 306GB/s in the M5 Pro.
There's one upgrade common to all these machines: Apple is throwing its N1 networking chip in, to upgrade them to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. (The pre-existing MacBook Pro M5 didn't get the N1, and stays at Wi-Fi 6E.)
As I mentioned earlier, Apple updated its displays too. You can read all about Apple's new 2026 Studio Displays at that link, or hang around and I'll dig into the changes. First and foremost, there are still two models — the Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR — and they've both changed.
When it comes to image quality, the Apple Studio Display appears to be exactly the same as before. It's still a 27-inch 5K Retina LCD display with support for P3 wide color, and up to 600 nits of brightness. It's still 60Hz, annoyingly — and it still costs a hard-to-stomach $1,599.
The speakers have been upgraded to a six-speaker spatial audio system, with four woofers in a force-cancelling configuration and two tweeters. Apple says this delivers 30% more bass than the previous generation, but we're struggling to imagine that who cares this much about bass would be using the built-in speakers on their monitor…
Okay, let's move on to the Apple Studio Display XDR, which replaces the previous Apple Pro Display XDR. That was a 32-inch 6K display, but the new model is another 27-inch 5K model, like the regular Studio Display. However, this one has a more impressive panel — it's the same resolution and with P3 color gamut support, but it has a mini-LED backlight.
It also has the Center Stage camera, six-speaker audio system, and Thunderbolt 5 ports. And it starts from $3,299, which is… quite a lot, even for a pro-level monitor.
You can get either of Apple's new displays with its matte "nano-texture" glass finish, if you like, to avoid reflections.
How are we feeling about Apple's latest announcements? I've added a poll to see what you're thinking of buying at the top of the article. I suspect the Studio Display XDR may not come top of it, but we'll see…
Stick or twist?
Let us know which of Apple's many new launches you're most excited about in the poll at the top of this page.
Personally, I'm a bit torn between voting for the MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Pro M5 Pro. Despite the MacBook Air's price rising by $100 / £100 due the minimum storage option rising to 512GB, it looks odds-on to be replace the M4 model at the top of our best laptops guide.
As the owner of a creaking 13-inch MacBook Pro (2018), though, I'm looking at the new 14-inch M5 Pro version with worrying interest. Yes, it's theoretically a 'bad' time to buy one, with the OLED MacBook Pro rumored to be landing later this year, but it might just be the perfect (and last) version of this generation's classic design.
The 'MacBook Neo' tomorrow?
The big Apple launch we're still waiting for is the lower-cost MacBook — and it seems that much-anticipated laptop could be called the MacBook Neo. Yes, Tim Cook et al have been re-watching The Matrix trilogy, it seems.
That rumor has been started by MacRumors, who say they spotted a regulatory PDF document on Apple's website containing the name, which has been removed since they published their finding. Very mysterious.
This cheaper MacBook (expected to cost somewhere between $599-$799) is rumored to be powered by an A18 Pro or A19 Pro iPhone chip, and come in a range of bold colors. It'll almost certainly be announced tomorrow March 4.
My gut reaction is that this would be a very un-Apple and slightly tacky name, but I'm sure it's done its market research – and 'iPad' was also widely mocked when it launched. At least it isn't the iNeo, I guess...
What will Apple call its lower-cost MacBook?
Still, it is the leading candidate right now, so we're putting it over to you — what do you think Apple will call it's Chromebook rival?
You're not convinced by the MacBook Neo
Well, you're not convinced by its rumored name, at least. We asked you what you think Apple's affordable MacBook might be called on our WhatsApp channel, and 58% of you said MacBook SE.
The rumored Neo name – which could ultimately turn out to be a codename – came down in third with only 15% of votes at the time of writing. Of course, Apple could go with something even more sensible like MacBook (A18 Pro).
To cast your vote (and catch up on all the latest non-Apple news) head over to the TechRadar WhatsApp channel.
Welcome to day three
The rumors are strongly pointing towards a more affordable MacBook — potentially in the $599-$799 price range — being today's colorful star. A leaked regulatory document suggests it might be called the MacBook Neo, although we still don't know if that's just a codename.
There is also an experience day taking place today, which TechRadar will of course be attending — so we'll be bringing you all of the news and our reactions straight from Apple's event.
Early iPad Air M4 benchmarks are in
We're taking a short break from MacBook Neo chat to bring you news of the iPad Air M4's early benchmarks, which have been spotted by MacRumors.
The Geekbench test results appear to be for an iPad Air M4 13-inch (Wi-Fi + Cellular) model and suggest that the M4 model's are between 13% and 22% better than its predecessor in single-core, and between 5-10% better in multi-core CPU performance.
As always, those results need to be taken with a pinch of salt. But they hint at fairly modest real-world gains — and given that we found it was almost impossible to slow down the iPad Air M3 in our tests, the M4 chip alone likely won't be a reason to upgrade from a recent model.
The Apple Studio Display has disappointed some
The new Apple Studio Display continues to be one of the best-looking monitors around, but it's unfortunately missing an important feature for gamers — as TechRadar Alex Blake has passionately explained.
The lack of a 120Hz refresh rate has left him "disappointed", particularly as Apple silicon has taken Mac gaming a long way in recent years. A 27-inch Apple display with a 5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate would have been the "holy trinity" he says, but he's sadly now looking elsewhere.
Fortunately, he's also rounded up three of the top Studio Display alternatives that are on his shortlist.
Ten minutes and counting...
For the past two days, Apple has dropped its big announcements at 9am ET / 2pm GMT. I'm expecting the same today — and given the amount of rumors about its lower-cost MacBook, it'd be a big surprise if that doesn't get revealed.
My main question is whether or not that's going to be the only announcement — will Apple really leave its base iPad without an update? Fortunately, we won't have to wait long to find out.
We're inside Apple's event
Good news, TechRadar has successfully made it inside both the US and UK versions of Apple's event.
There aren't any more clues about what to expect yet, although those bright yellow, blue, and green colors from the invite are everywhere — a hint at the lower-cost MacBook's colors? Most likely, I think.
It's standing room only here at the event. Speaking of which, it looks like the whole unveiling will be standing, so seems like it'll be a short one. A short event for a small laptop? Maybe…
Apple's Marketing VP Greg Jozwiak just joked with our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff that he was gonna throw his phone at Lance (again). Last time these two guys met, the phone throwing was… chaotic.
Apple is introducing an "all-new Mac" — it's confirmed!
Here's the info you probably really want — the price:
It starts from just $599 / £599. Yes, really. Nearly half the price of the new M5 MacBook Air!
And, in fact, it'll be even cheaper if you can get one of Apple's education discounts — just $499!
Have some more images
Apple's just confirmed that there's no backlight in the keyboard, and the trackpad is mechanical, rather than the all-solid trackpad with haptic feedback used on its other laptops.
Apple says you'll get up to 16 hours of battery life from a single charge, for all-day use. It weighs 2.7lbs, which is just 1.17kg – so you really could carry it around all day.
The big question: the name
Apple told us that it chose the name… "because we like it". Which isn't quite the in-depth exploration we wanted.
Apple has made a point of saying that the MacBook Neo will be fully geared up for Apple Intelligence, of course.
Incidentally, you can pre-order it today, for its official launch on March 11th.
No charger for some
There's something UK and EU buyers should know before you buy — it won't come with a charger, or even a USB-C cable. It'll probably be able to charge from even a pretty standard phone charger given that it uses a phone chip, but bear that in mind.
I should note that the 1080p front-facing camera isn't a Center Stage camera, so it won't follow you if you move. Apple had a history of really poor cameras in its laptops until a few years ago, so we'll see how this one does…
Let's have some official photos, now that Apple's made the Neo a whole thing in its site.
The keyboard is a lighter shade of the body, the trackpad is a closer match.
One is full USB 3 port that does charging, USB 3 connectivity up to 10GBps, and works as a DisplayPort output for an external monitor. The other does charging and USB 2. Yes, good ol' 480Mbps USB 2. How do you know which is which? Ah, I'm not sure they're labelled…
The fact that the faster USB-C port is also the DisplayPort connections is kind of annoying – so you can have a screen or semi-decent data connection. And it supports one external display, at up to 4K 60Hz.
I expect several companies will sell hubs for this, in matching colors. It feels more like Apple just doesn't expect buyers to really care about a wired connection, though. I'm still struggling to imagine that having a whopping two USB 3 ports just in case would have broken the budget, though…
Which is the best MacBook Neo color?
Let's have a quick tour of those four MacBook Neo colors — Silver, Citrus, Indigo, Blush.
I think the Citrus could be the most popular choice, although it's also the one that shouts the loudest that you have a MacBook Neo. Silver will be for those who want their model choice to be a little more stealthy.
Which one is your favorite? Vote in our poll below.
Charging conundrums
The MacBook Neo doesn't come with MagSafe or fast-charging, so it's a little antiquated on the charging front. In the UK and EU, it also doesn't come with a power adapter in the box, just a USB-C cable, though in the US you do get a 20W charger too.
On the plus side, that 36.5‑watt‑hour lithium‑ion battery means you should be able to use any phone charger to top it up. It can also be charged using either of its two USB-C ports, although bear in mind only one of them is USB-C 3.
What's this on the side?
The photographer in me got a bit excited up seeing this part of the MacBook Neo. Is that an SD card slot? No, it's actually just one of the laptop's speakers, with another identical one on the other side. Apple says these support Spatial Audio so it'll be interesting to hear them in action.
Never mind — as we mentioned earlier, there will undoubtedly be third-party hubs made for the Neo (in matching Citrus and Blush, no doubt) to boosts its connectivity, and some of those will surely contain SD card slots. Which are still the fastest and most reliable way to get a big batch of snaps from your camera.
Hands-on impressions — the MacBook Neo will be a hit
TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff has been hands-on with the MacBook Neo at Apple's event today — and he's come away very impressed.
Unlike most plasticky budget laptops, he says that the Neo "features all the materials and tolerances you expect from an Apple product".
There's also the bigger picture here. More than just a new product, Lance Ulanoff says the MacBook Neo "is probably the most important new consumer electronics product of this still-new year".
When you consider the background of a RAM crisis and an education market that's crying out for a Chromebook alternative, a $599 / £599 / AU$899 Mac – which is only $499 / £499 / AU$749 for the education market – is very big news indeed.
What is the MacBook Neo missing?
We've sung the MacBook Neo's praises a lot today, and quite rightly. But what features would you be missing out on if you bough the budget MacBook?
We've rounded them all up in the handy list below. From the lack of True Tone or a P3 color gamut on the display to the absence of Center Stage on the camera, I'd say most of these are understandable given the price — but there is one particularly annoying omission (only one port has USB 3) that could become frustrating in practice.
Particularly as Apple doesn't seemed to have marked which port is which on the Neo...
Our hands-on video with the MacBook Neo
If you're looking for a two-minute video tour of the MacBook Neo with all of its specs, look no further — we've just published the excellent one above on YouTube.
It's a great little whistle-stop tour of everything you need to know about the budget MacBook, and it might just help you decide your favorite color. I might be coming round to that indigo one, actually...
Missed all the news?
This week has been a bit of a whirlwind — so if you've just landed here wondering what on earth Apple has been playing at over the past few days check out our roundup below.
We've gathered together all of Apple's announcements in one place, in no particular order — although the MacBook Neo is number one, so make of that what you will.
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