Get ready for an onslaught of Apple news! Ahead of a "special Apple experience" for the media on Wednesday, there will be several days of announcements coming from the company with Tim Cook confirming that things will kick off on Monday.
We're expecting a number of product announcements next week, but we're also continuing to look ahead at what we can expect with iPhone and Mac updates later this year. Software development is also continuing with iOS 26.4 proceeding through beta testing, so read on below for all the details!
Top Stories
Apple Teases 'A Big Week Ahead' With Announcements Starting Monday
Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased "a big week ahead," with announcements starting Monday. His post on X this week included an #AppleLaunch hashtag with a colorful Apple logo, along with a short video that ultimately reveals an Apple logo on the lid of a Mac.
With the new, more affordable version of the MacBook rumored to be launching next week representing a new product offering for Apple, we recently rounded up everything we know about the device ahead of its launch.
Even since that roundup, additional details have continued to surface, including rumors about mass production and pricing as well as a number of expected limitations that will help maintain differentiation between this new MacBook and the MacBook Air.
Apple is Testing These iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Colors
The special new color that Apple is considering for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max this year is a "deep red," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The first foldable iPhone that we're expecting to see debut in the same September time frame will, however, reportedly "stay away from fun colors" and be offered in more traditional space gray/black and silver/white finishes.
The redesigned M6 Pro and M6 Max models will reportedly feature OLED touchscreens with macOS optimizations for touch input, a hole-punch camera and Dynamic Island to replace the current camera notch, and more.
iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone this year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that Apple will release its first foldable device in 2026, and it will feature industry-leading performance for the tricky foldable screen.
We've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Apple will allegedly call the device the "iPhone Fold," which is the name the media has already adopted when sharing rumors about the product.
iOS 26.3.1 Update for iPhones Coming Soon as 'Apple Experience' Nears
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 26.3.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.3.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, and it will likely be released within the next two weeks. We did already receive a visionOS 26.3.1 bug fix update on Thursday, but we are also seeing signs of iOS 26.3.1 for iPhone in our logs.
This week also saw the release of the second round of developer betas of iOS 26.4 and related updates, and they include a number of tweaks and new features compared to the first betas.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Starting on Monday, we're going to get our first major product announcements of 2026. Apple CEO Tim Cook teased a "big week ahead" with an "Apple Launch" hashtag, plus Apple has media events scheduled in New York, Shanghai, and London on Wednesday, March 4. We're expecting the iPhone 17e, an all-new low-cost MacBook, and minor refreshes to the Mac and iPad lines.
Low-Cost MacBook
Rumors about the MacBook's design make it sound a lot like the MacBook Air. It will have an aluminum chassis in a range of colors, and a 12.9-inch or 13-inch display, depending on the rumor.
It's possible the low-cost MacBook will have a thin and light design because it's going to use a lower power A-series chip that doesn't require a lot of heat dissipation, but that's not yet confirmed. Apple used to have a 12-inch MacBook with a thin design and a low-power Core M chip, and it's been suggested that this new MacBook could be something of a revival of that machine.
Thinner and lighter typically means more expensive with Apple products, so a super slim design might not be what Apple is optimizing for. Making the low-cost MacBook thinner than the MacBook Air could just confuse the MacBook lineup.
With the low-cost iPad, Apple keeps the price down by using older display technology that's not as thin, so we could see that same strategy with the low-cost MacBook. A thicker chassis and a super efficient chip could mean a long battery life, which would be ideal for an educational environment.
The low-cost MacBook is expected to have lower max display brightness, no True Tone support, no backlit keyboard, slower SSD speeds, and no N1 chip.
Colors
The MacBook is going to come in a selection of fun colors, and Apple has tested light yellow, light green, blue, pink, silver, and dark gray, according to Bloomberg. Not all of those colors are likely to ship, but it sounds like we'll get at least four of them.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the MacBook will come in yellow, silver, blue, and pink, which would be the same colors that Apple offers for the iPad.
A18 Pro Chip
The most consistent rumor we've heard about the MacBook is its planned chip. Rather than an M-series Mac chip, Apple is planning to use an A-series chip. The low-cost MacBook is expected to use the A18 Pro chip, which Apple first debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro.
The A18 Pro uses a second-generation 3-nanometer process. It has a 6-core CPU with four performance cores and two efficiency cores, along with a 6-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI-based tasks. In Geekbench benchmarks, the A18 Pro has an average single-core score of 3451, and a multi-core score of 8572. For comparison, the M4 iPad Pro earns a single-core score of 3694 and a multi-core score of 13732 (Apple's next MacBook Air is going to use the M5 chip).
The A18 Pro outperforms the M1, which is the chip that Apple kept around in a lower-cost version of the MacBook Air for several years. An A18 MacBook wouldn't be too far off from the M4 Mac/iPad chips in terms of single-core performance, but there would be a difference in multi-core performance.
A MacBook with the A18 chip would be more than powerful enough for day-to-day use like web browsing, document creation, watching videos, and even light photo and video editing. It won't be ideal for system-intensive games or tasks like 4K video editing and 3D rendering, but it will do almost everything an iPhone or iPad can do.
Apple is developing the low-cost MacBook with students in mind, and it sounds like it will be the Apple equivalent of the affordable Chromebook PCs that are often used by students.
RAM
Macs start with 16GB RAM, but the iPhone 16 Pro has 8GB RAM, the minimum for Apple Intelligence. We can expect an A18 Pro MacBook to have at least 8GB RAM so it can support Apple Intelligence, but it's possible Apple will give it the 16GB that all Macs have.
Storage
The MacBook Air starts with 256GB of storage, but Apple could possibly launch the low-cost MacBook with 128GB.
Ports
The A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro models doesn't support Thunderbolt, so the MacBook will be limited to USB-C (10GB/s) and won't offer Thunderbolt speeds. That will limit display connectivity, so it's likely the A18 Pro MacBook will only support a single external display.
Price
Pricing on the MacBook Air starts at $999, and the low-cost MacBook is expected to be priced much lower.
Apple probably won't want to undercut its iPad pricing by too much. The low-cost iPad with A16 chip starts at $349, and the iPad Air with M2 chip starts at $599. A price between $599 and $799 could make the most sense because it wouldn't be as expensive as the MacBook Air or iPad Pro, but would come in at or just over the iPad Air's cost.
$599 would be on par with some of the highly rated Chromebook options that people often purchase for school use, while a $699 or $799 price would be in the same general pricing area, but a little more of a premium price tag. $599 is also the cost of the iPhone 16e, Apple's most affordable iPhone that uses a slightly less powerful A18 chip.
iPhone 17e
The iPhone 16e that came out in February 2025 is due for a refresh. The iPhone 17e is getting some useful upgrades over the iPhone 16e that will make it even more worth the purchase price.
Design
The iPhone 17e will look a lot like the iPhone 16e, featuring the same 6.1-inch display size, single-lens rear camera, and black and white color options.
Display
The iPhone 17e is expected to feature the same display panel as the iPhone 16e, which means it will be limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Apple brought 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates to the standard iPhone 17 in 2025, but the same technology is not expected for the more affordable iPhone 17e.
The iPhone 17e will continue to be Apple's only new release iPhone without 120Hz support.
120Hz refresh rates provide video improvements and smoother scrolling when viewing webpages.
The iPhone 16e does not have always-on display technology, and that's not likely to change with the iPhone 17e. To support always-on, the iPhone 17e would need an OLED display with 1-nit minimum brightness, which is limited to Apple's more expensive iPhones. HDR and brightness are also lacking compared to Apple's flagship lineup.
Dynamic Island
The iPhone 16e uses the notch that Apple has eliminated in its newer flagship iPhones, but the iPhone 17e could eliminate it. Some rumors suggest that the iPhone 17e will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, giving it an updated look.
The Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped cutout on the iPhone's display that houses the TrueDepth camera system and the front-facing camera. It takes up less display area than the notch, and it is better integrated into the iPhone.
While some rumors indicate we could get a Dynamic Island, other rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will continue to use a notch, so the Dynamic Island upgrade isn't a guarantee.
A19 Chip
The iPhone 17e will use Apple's A19 chip, which is the same chip that's in the iPhone 17. The A19 chip is built on an upgraded N3P 3-nanometer process, offering a 5 to 10 percent performance improvement over the A18 chip.
Apple could be planning to use a downclocked version of the A19 chip in the iPhone 17e, and if that's the case, its performance won't quite match the iPhone 17's performance.
The A18 chip that Apple used in the iPhone 16e had a 4-core GPU instead of a 5-core GPU like the version from the iPhone 16, so the iPhone 17e could get a similar GPU downgrade.
Aside from the improved CPU and GPU, the A19 has an updated display engine, image signal processor, and Neural Engine for improved AI performance. Every GPU core features a Neural Accelerator to boost the performance of local AI models.
We are expecting the iPhone 17e to continue to include 8GB RAM like the iPhone 16e. Apple's other models have 12GB.
MagSafe Compatibility
The iPhone 16e does not have a magnetic ring for MagSafe charging, but the iPhone 17e is expected to get a MagSafe upgrade.
Apple's iPhones have used MagSafe since the iPhone 12, so there are a wide array of MagSafe cases and accessories. The iPhone 16e is not compatible with these accessories, which is a major limitation.
Since it doesn't have MagSafe, the iPhone 16e is limited to 7.5W wireless charging speeds. MagSafe would upgrade that to at least 15W. The current iPhone 17 models can charge at 25W over MagSafe, though the iPhone Air is limited to 20W.
Camera
The iPhone 17e is expected to have a single 48-megapixel Wide Angle camera at the back, with no upgrade rumored. The iPhone 16e doesn't have a Camera Control button, and there's no sign that Apple plans to bring it to the iPhone 17e, either.
The iPhone 17 models got an upgraded 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera, but rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will continue to use the same 12-megapixel front-facing camera as the iPhone 16e.
C1X Modem and N1 Chip
The iPhone 17e will adopt Apple's C1X modem, the modem chip that Apple first debuted in the iPhone Air. The C1X modem is faster and more efficient than the C1 modem that Apple used in the iPhone 16e.
Apple says the C1X modem is up to 2x faster than the C1, and it is far more energy efficient than Qualcomm modems.
Apple could also update the iPhone 17 models with Apple's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth "N1" networking chip, bringing speed and efficiency improvements, plus Thread support. Leaked Apple code suggests the chip will not be included in the iPhone 17e in order to keep costs down, but recent rumors indicate Apple plans to include it.
Pricing
The iPhone 16e is priced starting at $599, and no price changes are expected for the iPhone 17e.
iPad Air
The iPad Air will get a small refresh with a chip update, adopting the M4 chip.
Design and Display
There are no design changes rumored for the iPad Air, so we can expect the same 11-inch and 13-inch size options.
The iPad Air is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro, and it uses a standard LED display instead of OLED technology. The iPad Air will eventually be upgraded to OLED, but for now, the higher-end display technology will remain limited to the iPad Pro. The iPad Air also doesn't support ProMotion, and there's no sign that Apple is planning to add it.
The iPad Air will continue to feature USB-C, a Touch ID top button, and the same front and rear cameras.
It's possible there will be a new color option, but it's not guaranteed with a minor refresh. No new accessories are rumored, and it will continue to work with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil Pro.
M4 Chip
Apple has been updating the iPad Air with an M-series chip that's a generation behind the chip in the iPad Pro. Since the iPad Pro was updated in October 2025 with the M5, the iPad Air is set to get the M4 chip.
The M3 in the current iPad Air and the M4 chip are both built on a 3-nanometer process, but the M4 has an updated process that brings speed and efficiency improvements.
There are up to 10 CPU cores instead of 8, the Neural Engine is faster, and there's more memory bandwidth. The GPU is also more power efficient for potential battery gains. The M4 CPU is up to 30 percent faster than the M3 CPU, while the GPU is up to 21 percent faster.
The iPad Air already supports Apple Intelligence, and the next-generation model will continue to do so. Apple increased the RAM in iPad Pro models with higher storage tiers, but there's no word on whether that same change will come to the iPad Air. Current models feature 8GB RAM, the minimum for Apple Intelligence.
Charging
The iPad Pro gained faster charging with the M5 update, and that's something that could trickle down to the iPad Air.
N1 Chip
The iPad Air is likely to adopt the N1 networking chip that Apple first introduced in the iPhone 17 models. The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that offers connectivity and efficiency improvements compared to the third-party chips that Apple has used in previous devices. The N1 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technology.
The current iPad Air offers Wi-Fi 6E support, so the next-generation model could see faster Wi-Fi speeds on compatible networks with Wi-Fi 7.
Apple Modem
Apple used the C1X in the M5 iPad Pro, and the cellular versions of the iPad Air will get that same modem chip. The C1X is an upgraded variant of the C1, Apple's first in-house modem chip.
It offers performance on par with Qualcomm chips, though 5G connectivity is limited to sub-6GHz with no support for mmWave 5G. That's not an issue on the iPad, because the current version of the iPad Air doesn't support mmWave.
Apple's modem chips are more power efficient than Qualcomm modem chips, and are able to better integrate with other iPad components.
Pricing
There are no rumors of a price increase, so the 11-inch model is expected to continue to start at $599, while the 13-inch model will start at $799.
Low-Cost iPad
Like the iPad Air, the low-cost iPad is going to get a refresh with an updated chip. The update is a bigger deal because the iPad is expected to support Apple Intelligence for the first time.
Design
The 12th-generation iPad will have the same 11-inch edge-to-edge display with Touch ID Side Button and thick bezels as the current model.
The low-cost iPad is only available in a single screen size, and it is Apple's thickest tablet at 7mm. It features a Retina LCD display with no ProMotion support, no P3 wide color, and no lamination (display technology that cuts down on glare, provides a more responsive feel, and allows for a thinner size) compared to Apple's other tablets.
Apple makes the low-cost iPad in several fun colors, and we could see some new shades in 2026. Current colors include blue, pink, silver, and yellow.
No changes are expected for the rear camera, front camera, USB-C port, or compatibility with accessories like the Apple Pencil.
A-Series Chip
The low-cost iPad will be equipped with Apple's A18 or A19 chip, both of which are built on a 3-nanometer process. The upgraded chip will offer speed and efficiency improvements over the A16 chip that's in the current model.
The A16 chip that Apple used in 2025 does not support Apple Intelligence, but the A18 and A19 do, so that will mark a major update for Apple's affordable tablet. The 2026 model will be able to support Apple Intelligence features that are unavailable with the 2025 model.
The 11th-generation iPad has 6GB RAM, but Apple will need to bump that up to 8GB for Apple Intelligence.
N1 Chip
Apple is expanding its N1 networking chip to many of its new devices. The N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking technology for smart home devices.
The 11th-generation iPad is limited to Wi-Fi 6, so if the 12th-generation version gets Wi-Fi 7, it will be able to connect to faster 6GHz networks for the first time. Bluetooth 6 would also be an improvement over Bluetooth 5.3. There is a chance that Apple is reserving the N1 chip for its more premium devices, based on leaked internal code. If that's the case, the iPad won't include the N1 chip.
Apple Modem
Apple has designed C1 and C1X modem chips that it has used in iPhones and iPads in 2025, and the next-generation version of the iPad could also get an Apple-designed modem chip for cellular models.
Pricing
The 11th-generation iPad is priced starting at $349 for 128GB of storage, and there are so far no indications that pricing is going to change for the 12th-generation model.
MacBook Pro
Apple already refreshed the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip, but now it's time for the higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch models to get an update.
Design
There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro models to look just like the M4 versions. Apple will continue to offer 14-inch and 16-inch size options, both of which should come in M5 Pro and M5 Max varieties.
M5 Max and M5 Pro
We already got base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip in October, so what we're expecting are upgraded 14-inch and 16-inch models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
The M5 family is built on a more advanced 3-nanometer process from TSMC, and it offers speed and efficiency improvements. The M5 chip is up to 20 percent faster in multi-core CPU performance than the M4 chip, and we could see similar improvements for the M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options. GPU performance is up to 30 percent faster.
With the M5, Apple added a Neural Accelerator to each GPU core, improving the speeds of GPU-based AI workloads. The chip also supports third-generation ray-tracing, second-generation dynamic caching, and enhanced shader cores.
The 16-core Neural Engine is more energy efficient than before, and unified memory bandwidth has improved. These are all features that we're likely to see with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as well.
Why You Shouldn't Buy an M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro
If you're not in serious need of a new MacBook Pro right away, early 2026 is a bad time to upgrade. The next-generation MacBook Pro after the early 2026 models is expected to feature an OLED display and touchscreen capabilities, both of which will mark a major upgrade in display quality. It's expected to include a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, and macOS will be optimized for touch interactions.
Most people shelling out extra money for a MacBook Pro with a higher-end M5 Pro or M5 Max chip need the extra performance or display quality, so it is worth waiting for the huge update that's coming.
The transition to OLED will also likely bring a design update along with M6 Pro and M6 Max chip technology, which is another reason to wait. Of course, the new features could be limited to higher-end MacBook Pro models or could be significantly more expensive. If you're on a budget, need a Mac now, or don't care about OLED, the M5 Pro and Max models could still be worth considering.
MacBook Air
Along with the low-cost MacBook and M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro models, Apple could introduce a refreshed version of the MacBook Air next week.
M5 Chip
The next-generation MacBook Air will adopt the M5 chip, which Apple already introduced in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models that came out last year.
Apple's M5 chip uses third-generation 3-nanometer technology, and it features up to a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU with 3.5x faster performance than the M4 chip.
The M5's multithreaded CPU performance is up to 15 percent faster than the M4, and it offers 30 percent faster GPU performance. Apple added a Neural Accelerator to each GPU core to improve the speeds of GPU-based AI workloads. Unified memory bandwidth is 153GB/s, which is close to a 30 percent improvement over the M4's memory bandwidth. Unified memory architecture lets the chip use a single memory pool for running AI models on device, boosting GPU performance, and improving multithreaded performance in apps, so an upgrade there is meaningful. RAM will continue to start at 16GB, with 24GB and 32GB available as upgrade options.
Third-generation ray-tracing, second-generation dynamic caching, and upgraded shader cores bring improvements to gaming and other system-intensive tasks. An updated 16-core Neural Engine is more energy efficient than before, so we could see battery life improvements.
Storage tiers are likely to stay the same, starting at 256GB with 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB available as upgrade options.
Design
The MacBook Air got a design overhaul in 2022, and there are no signs that Apple is planning for an updated chassis in 2026. Apple often uses the same design for several years before updating, and design refreshes are usually tied to major new features.
We're expecting Apple to release the same 13-inch and 15-inch size options in 2026. Both will feature the same aluminum unibody design and fanless thermal system, along with a Retina LCD display.
The MacBook Air is likely to continue to offer two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, and the same speaker, microphone, and camera setup.
Pricing
MacBook Air pricing is not expected to change, and it should continue to start at $1,099. There is a possibility that memory upgrades will be more expensive due to DRAM shortages that have driven prices up.
Other Possibilities
Apple's Special Experience seems like it's going to focus primarily on lower-end devices, with the exception of the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models. We are waiting on other devices that rumors have suggested will be refreshed in early 2026, but it's likely we'll be waiting a bit longer for them.
HomePod mini
A new version of the HomePod mini is apparently ready to go, but Apple may hold it back for a more home-focused refresh that will also include the rumored home hub. The home hub and the HomePod mini are likely tied to the new version of Siri.
Apple was aiming to introduce the more capable Siri in iOS 26.4, but pushed back Siri's debut because of ongoing reliability issues. It's not clear when the new Siri is coming now, and so the timing of the next HomePod mini is also unknown.
The HomePod mini is expected to get a new chip and new colors, but not much else. The design will stay the same.
Apple TV
As with the HomePod mini, the next Apple TV is a device we've been hearing rumors about since late last year. It was supposed to come in late 2025 or early 2026, but it too is likely tied to the Siri refresh.
There are no design changes expected for the Apple TV, and it will get an updated chip.
MacRumors Coverage
Apple isn't holding an event for the new announcements, so there won't be a video to watch. We're expecting to see new products unveiled via press release on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so stay tuned to MacRumors for details on everything Apple unveils.
Apple is holding a Special Experience for members of the media on March 4, 2026, where we're expecting Apple to show off the new products. MacRumors will be in attendance, so we'll be able to share a hands-on look at whatever Apple has to offer.
The Special Experience will take place at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
With a similar screen size and easy, one-handed grip, the iPad mini has always been the Apple device that overlaps most with dedicated e-readers. Now, amid rumors pointing to an OLED display for the next generation, could the iPad mini finally replace devices such as the Kindle and Kobo?
The shift from LCD to OLED could make the iPad mini far more appealing as a reading device. OLED panels allow each pixel to turn off individually, producing true blacks and extremely high contrast.
Text can appear sharper and more defined against a dark background, particularly in dark mode. Night reading is also typically more comfortable because the display can emit less light overall. Color reproduction and viewing angles also improve with OLED, which could make a big difference for comics, magazines, and illustrated books.
Another benefit is power efficiency. OLED displays can consume less energy when displaying dark content. That could modestly extend battery life during reading sessions.
All current iPad models have no official water resistance rating. By contrast, devices like the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Color are typically rated to withstand immersion, allowing users to read in the bath, by the pool, or at the beach without concern. Rumors suggest Apple is exploring a more sealed design for the next iPad mini, potentially using vibration-based speakers and fewer ingress points to add water resistance. This could remove one of the everyday practical advantages that e-readers currently hold over the iPad mini.
However, dedicated e-readers would still retain some major advantages over the iPad mini. Kindle and Kobo devices use e-ink screens that reflect ambient light rather than emitting light directly toward the eyes, behaving much more like paper. Many readers find that e-ink screens cause less fatigue during long reading sessions. Outdoor readability is another area where e-ink remains superior, since they become easier to read as ambient light increases.
Battery life is also dramatically different. Most e-readers last weeks on a single charge because the screen only uses power when the page changes. The iPad mini typically lasts for around a day or two of mixed use at most. E-readers are also intentionally limited devices that focus on reading, while tablets encourage multitasking, which can make focused reading more difficult for some users.
Even if OLED improves the reading experience, the iPad mini would still compete in a different price category. The current iPad mini starts at $499, and rumors suggest the OLED version could cost up to $100 more. By contrast, many Kindle and Kobo models are much more accessible and cost between $110 and $300 depending on features.
OLED would still make the iPad mini a significantly better reading device than it already is, but the physics of e-ink displays provide advantages that OLED cannot replicate, especially for reading. What OLED could do is shift the balance slightly; for casual readers, an OLED iPad mini may become good enough that buying a separate e-reader no longer feels necessary.
Apple is working with German confectionary brand Ritter Sport to offer a unique Apple Music promotion.
The collaboration, branded as "Limited Edition Ritter Sport x Apple Music," involves promoting iconic albums on Ritter Sport's iconic 100g square chocolate bars (via Macerkopf). There will be a QR code on the back of each bar that links directly to the album on Apple Music and provides a free trial subscription to the service.
Ritter Sport and Apple Music have selected five albums that have shaped German music history across different genres, including Cro's "RAOP," Marteria's "Happy for the Future II," Scorpions' "Crazy World," Sarah Connor's "Mother Tongue," and Helene Fischer's "Farbenspiel," for the series. They are each available on Apple Music in Dolby Atmos.
The promotion begins on Monday, March 2 in Germany, when the chocolate bars will begin to appear in stores across the country. Each bar costs €1.99 and they will be available for a limited time only.
Fresh Coat is a screen protector that Astropad created with an optical-grade anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and provide a better iPhone viewing experience. The technology cuts reflections by 75 percent, while improving contrast and keeping colors vibrant. Unlike other anti-reflective screen protectors on the market, Fresh Coat adds no haze or distortion to the iPhone's display.
Priced at $30, Fresh Coat is made from a scratch-proof tempered glass that provides protection for the iPhone's display in addition to cutting down on glare and reflections. It's slim and doesn't add bulk to the iPhone even though there are five layers of protective technology at work. From the top down, there's an anti-reflective coating, an oleophobic and hydrophobic coating, a layer of tempered glass, a dust barrier, and an impact-resistant "airbag" bonding.
If you have an iPhone 17, it comes with an anti-reflective coating added by Apple. What you might not know is that you can't use just any screen protector with the iPhone 17. If you put a regular screen protector without an anti-reflective coating on, it nullifies the anti-reflective properties of that added coating.
Since Fresh Coat has its own anti-reflective coating, it improves on Apple's included anti-reflective layer, reducing glare even further. With Fresh Coat, the iPhone's screen is easy to see in any lighting conditions, there's less eye strain, and if you use Dark Mode, it looks even darker.
If you don't have an iPhone 17, Fresh Coat can provide an iPhone 17-style display upgrade, mirroring Apple's own reflection-reducing display coating. Fresh Coat is available for all iPhone 17 models, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Astropad designed an installation process that's impossible to mess up, so you get perfect alignment on your iPhone without the hassle that comes with most screen protectors.
We have an iPhone 17 in white and a Fresh Coat screen protector for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
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The contest will run from today (February 27) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 6. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after March 6 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This week we tracked quite a few deals across numerous Apple products, including low prices on Apple Watch Series 11, AirPods Max, and iPhone 17 TechWoven cases, all of which are still available today. You'll also find great discounts on portable power stations and Samsung's new Galaxy S26 smartphones below.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple Watch Series 11
What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11
Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across select models of the smartwatch. This time around, deals are more sparse and we're only tracking these discounts on three models of the smartwatch.
Amazon this week has big discounts across Apple's Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup. Items on sale include Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. We're also tracking a few discounts on other accessories like the FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe and Beats cases.
AirPods
What's the deal? Take $30 off AirPods 4 and $100 off AirPods Max
Amazon this week is back with a notable discount on the USB-C AirPods Max, available for $449.00 in all five colors, down from $549.00. This is one of the first times in a few weeks that we've tracked every color of the AirPods Max on sale at $99 off.
Samsung
What's the deal? Save on Samsung's newest Galaxy S26 smartphones
Samsung this week debuted pre-orders for its newest line of Galaxy products, including the S26 smartphones and Galaxy Buds4. You can find a few early launch discounts on some of these products, plus discounts on Samsung's most popular monitors and TVs, with notable markdowns on products like The Frame TVs.
Anker and Jackery have introduced big discounts across their most popular portable power stations this week, including up to 56 percent off select models from each company. We're tracking Anker's best deals over at Amazon, while Jackery's discounts can be found on the retailer's own website.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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Macworld's Filipe Espósito today again reported that Apple appears to be developing two new Studio Display models with different specs.
Based on lines of code in "internal Apple files," which likely refers to a macOS Tahoe Kernel Debug Kit that leaked online last year, Espósito continues to believe that both of the new Studio Display models will feature ProMotion, enabling up to a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as HDR support for increased brightness and dynamic range.
For the higher-end Studio Display, the report has revealed two more potential upgrades that had yet to be rumored until now, including superior speakers and more and/or higher-spec ports. Apple says the current Studio Display has a "high-fidelity six-speaker system" that supports Spatial Audio, and the monitor has one Thunderbolt 3 port that connects to and charges a Mac, and three USB-C ports for connecting accessories.
The new Studio Display will likely feature at least one Thunderbolt 5 port, to ensure there is enough bandwidth for both 5K resolution at 120Hz and accessories. However, another leaker curiously claimed that at least one of the new Studio Display models will max out at 90Hz, so we will have to see which of these rumors is accurate. A boost to the current 60Hz refresh rate can make videos and scrolling look smoother to the eye.
Espósito said that the higher-end Studio Display could have a 32-inch screen, whereas the lower-end model would likely stick with a 27-inch screen. However, this particular claim was merely speculation, rather than info from the internal Apple files. Keep in mind that with a 32-inch screen, 5K resolution would not be Retina quality, so the resolution would have to increase to 6K like on Apple's higher-end Pro Display XDR.
Display industry expert Ross Young previously said that at least one new Studio Display would feature mini-LED backlighting. If so, perhaps Apple will opt to discontinue its Pro Display XDR with full-array LED backlighting and instead offer both lower-end and higher-end Studio Display configurations. But again, this is just speculation.
Another previously-rumored feature for at least one of the new Studio Display models is an A19 or A19 Pro chip, up from the A13 Bionic chip in the current model. This would contribute to improved performance, camera enhancements, and more.
Altogether, the full set of Studio Display upgrades could include a higher 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support for increased brightness and contrast ratio, improved speakers, Thunderbolt 5 support, mini-LED backlighting, a newer A19 or A19 Pro chip for performance and camera enhancements, and hopefully a larger 32-inch screen.
Apple reportedly plans to release the new Studio Display models in the first half of 2026. The current Studio Display launched in March 2022, alongside the first Mac Studio, so there has been a long wait for a refresh. With a new Apple monitor surfacing in a regulatory database last month, a launch should finally be getting close.
Apple's SVP of services Eddy Cue has revealed that Brazil is Apple TV's second-largest market by subscriber count and its fastest-growing, in an interview with Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo (via 9to5Mac).
Speaking on the sidelines of Apple's recent media event in Santa Monica where the company previewed its 2026 content slate, Cue acknowledged that Apple has yet to produce any original content in Brazil. Competitors like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, meanwhile, have turned the country into a major production hub, leaving Apple in catch-up mode.
"It doesn't move as quickly as I'd like, especially if you want to be truly good, but we'll get there," Cue said. "I know Brazilians want quality – I appreciate that – and I also know there's a lot of opportunity in Brazil to create strong content."
Cue also reaffirmed Apple's commitment to theatrical releases through distribution partnerships, pointing to the success of "F1: The Movie," which was released in theaters by Warner Bros. and went on to earn an Oscar nomination. Cue conceded that "the bar for leaving home and going to the movie theater" is getting increasingly higher, but he believes the experience remains irreplaceable.
"There's no substitute for that experience – for watching a film collectively, going on a date at the movies, enjoying a night out with friends or children watching a film," Cue said. "It's something truly unique, and I believe it will become even more valuable over time."
At the time of the interview, Netflix was still in the running to acquire Warner Bros. Asked whether a potential deal could complicate Apple's theatrical distribution arrangements, Cue was unconcerned. "We have a great relationship with the Netflix team – I've known them for a long time – and the same is true of our relationship with Warner," he said. "I know Ted [Sarandos – Netflix CEO] very well. Well enough to believe we'll continue working together in the future."
Netflix has since dropped out of the bidding, with Paramount now widely expected to win ownership of Warner Bros. following regulatory approval. Meanwhile, Apple has struck a U.S. partnership with Netflix to bring the complete latest season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive to Apple TV.
A March 2025 report by The Information revealed that Apple TV subscriptions grew to around 45 million in 2024, but it was still losing more than $1 billion annually. The company has spent more than $5 billion a year on content since the service launched in 2019, but this was reduced by $500 million in 2024 in response to a push for cutbacks from Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives.
Apple has asked a federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the company of defrauding shareholders by overstating Siri's Apple Intelligence capabilities and misrepresenting its compliance with the Epic Games App Store injunction.
At WWDC in June 2024, Apple previewed two of Siri's most anticipated Apple Intelligence upgrades – personal context and onscreen awareness. The features were supposed to arrive as part of iOS 18 and were promoted the same year when launching the iPhone 16 models, but Apple is still working on them. In 2025, CEO Tim Cook acknowledged in 2025 that developing a "more personal" Siri was "taking a bit longer than we thought."
The delay led Apple to be accused in a March 2025 lawsuit of false advertising and unfair competition. But in a Wednesday filing in San Jose federal court covered by Reuters, Apple argued there is no proof executives knew at the time that either feature would be significantly delayed.
Apple's motion also pushed back on separate claims related to the Epic Games injunction, which required the company to let developers link users to external purchase options outside the App Store's 30 percent commission structure.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in "willful violation" of that injunction last year after the company introduced a new system that still charged developers a 27 percent fee on some external sales. A federal appeals court partially reversed her sanctions in December.
Apple said it never guaranteed its compliance procedures would be foolproof, and argued the fraud claims were unsubstantiated.
"It is no secret that Apple faced challenges and weathered ups and downs in its stock price in 2025, like many major companies," Apple said. "But plaintiff takes a massive and unsupported leap by claiming that securities fraud caused the temporary price drops."
The lawsuit covers shareholders who suffered losses between May 2024 and May 2025 and is led by South Korea's National Pension Service, the world's third-largest pension fund. Lawyers for the shareholders have not yet responded publicly to Apple's filing.
Apple plans to release a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google Gemini this year. It was expected to be part of iOS 26.4, but Bloomberg's latest report suggests the Siri functionality will not be ready in time to be included in it, so the new features could be pushed to iOS 26.5 or iOS 27.
Blender's work on a native iPad version of its open source 3D creation suite has been shelved, according to the development team.
Back in July, Blender revealed that it was developing for iPad, with an iPad Pro version of its desktop software coming first, complete with a fully-featured multitouch interface and support for Apple Pencil Pro. No release date was announced at the time.
Now it doesn't look like that's about to happen anytime soon. In January, a status update appeared on Blender's GitHub page for iPad development saying that the project is on hold until further notice.
No reason for the halt in development was given in the notice. However, as spotted by YouTuber Brad Colbow, in a response to a comment offering help on the project, Blender developer Dalai Felinto said that the team was now focusing on Android tablets first instead.
During the fall at SIGGRAPH in Vancouver, Blender showed a live tech demo of the software running on iPad, so there's still hope that the project isn't completely dead and will resume at some point. We'll update this story if we learn anything more about a development timeline.
The latest Blender build for Apple silicon Macs can be downloaded for free from the Blender website.
Netflix has dropped out of the takeover battle for Warner Bros. Discovery, putting Paramount Skydance on course to win the whole WBD business.
The world's largest streaming service had been pegged to land a deal in which it would acquire Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $72 billion in equity and $82.7 billion, including debt. But after Paramount submitted a final offer, valuing WBD at $111bn including debt, Netflix declined to match it.
In an announcement on Thursday, Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said:
The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.
We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.' iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S. But this transaction was always a 'nice to have' at the right price, not a 'must have' at any price.
Netflix shares surged by 8.5% in after-hours trading, indicating relief among investors that the streaming company has not risked overpaying for Warner Bros.
Warner's board said Thursday night that it still recommends Netflix's offer, but now views Paramount's bid as "superior" – its first sign of backing for the suitor that it labeled hostile when the takeover battle began in December.
Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav said that Paramount's offer "will create tremendous value," and that WBD was "excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery."
Assuming Paramount's takeover is successful, it will give its owner Larry Ellison ownership of not only Warner Bros. and HBO, but also news channels CNN and CBS News. However, the deal still needs regulatory approval, so nothing is for certain just yet.
Along with the low-cost MacBook, Apple could introduce a refreshed version of the MacBook Air next week. Most of the focus will be on the new machine, but the MacBook Air is expected to get some useful internal updates.
M5 Chip
The next-generation MacBook Air will adopt the M5 chip, which Apple already introduced in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models that came out last year.
Apple's M5 chip uses third-generation 3-nanometer technology, and it features up to a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU with 3.5x faster performance than the M4 chip.
The M5's multithreaded CPU performance is up to 15 percent faster than the M4, and it offers 30 percent faster GPU performance. Apple added a Neural Accelerator to each GPU core to improve the speeds of GPU-based AI workloads. Unified memory bandwidth is 153GB/s, which is close to a 30 percent improvement over the M4's memory bandwidth. Unified memory architecture lets the chip use a single memory pool for running AI models on device, boosting GPU performance, and improving multithreaded performance in apps, so an upgrade there is meaningful. RAM will continue to start at 16GB, with 24GB and 32GB available as upgrade options.
Third-generation ray-tracing, second-generation dynamic caching, and enhanced shader cores bring improvements to gaming and other system-intensive tasks. An updated 16-core Neural Engine is more energy efficient than before, so we could see battery life improvements.
Storage tiers are likely to stay the same, starting at 256GB with 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB available as upgrade options.
Design
The MacBook Air got a design overhaul in 2022, and there are no signs that Apple is planning for an updated chassis in 2026. Apple often uses the same design for several years before updating, and design refreshes are usually tied to major new features.
There are rumors that the MacBook Air will get an OLED display sometime after Apple launches new MacBook Pro models with OLED technology in late 2026, so we could be waiting for OLED before we get another major design update.
We're expecting Apple to release the same 13-inch and 15-inch size options in 2026. Both will feature the same aluminum unibody design and fanless thermal system, along with a Retina LCD display.
The MacBook Air is likely to continue to offer two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, and the same speaker, microphone, and camera setup.
Pricing
MacBook Air pricing is not expected to change, and it should continue to start at $1,099. There is a possibility that memory upgrades will be more expensive due to DRAM shortages that have driven prices up.
Release Date
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased product announcements that are set to start on Monday, so we could see the MacBook Air as soon as next week.
Razer today introduced a new 16-inch laptop sleeve that has an integrated wireless charging feature for smartphones and other small devices like earbuds. Priced at $130, the sleeve includes two MagSafe-compatible wireless charging zones, so it can charge an iPhone and AirPods at the same time.
The wireless charger is integrated into the top of the laptop sleeve, and the magnets serve as a clasp when the sleeve is closed and being used to transport a laptop. Power is delivered through a USB-C cable that can be plugged into a 30W+ power adapter or a Mac.
Charging speeds are limited to 15W, so you won't get full speed wireless charging on newer iPhones that support up to 25W wireless charging. The sleeve has one 15W charging spot for an iPhone and a 5W charging spot for the AirPods. It is not designed to charge two iPhones at once, both because there's just one 15W charger and because of space constraints.
There is built-in padding to keep a MacBook safe from drops, and a plush lining inside protects it from scratches. The exterior is black and made from a polyester material that's designed to resist wear and tear while also protecting a laptop from rain. Reinforced corners ensure no damage in case of accidental bumps.
The sleeve is sized to fit laptops up to 16 inches, so it works with Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which includes Apple, today released the Aliro 1.0 specification. Aliro is a new standard aimed at improving the way that smart door locks work with smartphones and wearables.
Aliro supports interoperability between mobile devices, wearables, and access control readers, so smart locks can work with any smartphone or wearable device without the need for a dedicated app. It is aimed at improving smart locks for the home, but also for corporate offices, universities, and hotels.
Apple, Google, and Samsung support Aliro, and Aliro-enabled locks will be able to be added to wallet apps on iPhone and Android devices. Major smart home companies that produce smart locks have also signed on to support Aliro. The Alliance says that Apple, Allegion, Aqara, Google, HID, Kastle, Kwikset, Last Lock, Nordic Semiconductor, Nuki Home Solutions, NXP Semiconductors, Qorvo, Samsung, and STMicroelectronics will be among the first to achieve Aliro 1.0 certification.
With Aliro, more smart locks should support Apple Home Key for hands-free unlocking with NFC and UWB.
The Aliro 1.0 specification includes a framework for using asymmetric cryptography for secure interactions between user devices and readers, without sacrificing user privacy. It supports multiple communication methods, including NFC, Bluetooth LE, and ultra wideband (UWB).
Aliro will be updated over time to meet new market and ecosystem requirements. Features like secure key sharing will come in the future.
Apple today released visionOS 26.3.1, a minor update to the visionOS 26 operating system. visionOS 26.3.1 comes two weeks after the launch of visionOS 26.3.
visionOS 26.3 can be downloaded on all Vision Pro headsets by navigating to the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing the Software Update option. To install an update, the Vision Pro headset needs to be removed, and there is a software progress bar available on the exterior EyeSight display.
According to Apple's release notes for the update, it fixes a flicker issue that could happen when watching sports content with MultiView in the Apple TV app.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed Safari Technology Preview to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.
Safari Technology Preview 238 includes fixes and updates for Animations, CSS, Editing, Forms, Networking, Rendering, Scrolling, SVG, Web API, Web Inspector, WebAssembly, and WebRTC.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
One of the new products that we could see next week is a refreshed version of the low-cost iPad. As with the iPad Air, we're not expecting major changes, but it is expected to get some meaningful internal upgrades.
Design
The 12th-generation iPad isn't going to get a design update this year, and we're expecting it to have the same 11-inch edge-to-edge display with Touch ID Side Button and thick bezels.
Apple last updated the iPad's design with the 10th-generation model, giving the device a more modern look to better match the designs of the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. It's still a relatively new design, and Apple doesn't update the low-cost iPad's chassis often.
The low-cost iPad is only available in a single screen size, and it is Apple's thickest tablet at 7mm. It features a Retina LCD display with no ProMotion support, no P3 wide color, and no lamination (display technology that cuts down on glare, provides a more responsive feel, and allows for a thinner size) compared to Apple's other tablets.
Apple makes the low-cost iPad in several fun colors, and we could see some new shades in 2026. Current colors include blue, pink, silver, and yellow.
No changes are expected for the rear camera, front camera, USB-C port, or compatibility with accessories like the Apple Pencil.
A-Series Processor
The low-cost iPad will likely be equipped with Apple's A19 chip, which is the chip that Apple used for the iPhone 17. It is built on a 3-nanometer process and it will offer speed and efficiency improvements over the A16 chip that's in the current model.
The A16 chip that Apple used in 2025 does not support Apple Intelligence, but the A19 does, so that will mark a major update for Apple's affordable tablet. The 2026 model should be able to support Apple Intelligence features that are unavailable with the 2025 model.
The A19 also offers hardware-accelerated ray tracing for gaming improvements. The 11th-generation iPad has 6GB RAM, but Apple will need to bump that up to 8GB for Apple Intelligence.
N1 Chip
Apple introduced its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, called the N1, in the iPhone 17 models. The N1 was added to the iPad Pro, and it's possible that Apple plans to add the chip to all future devices coming in 2026 and beyond.
The N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking technology for smart home devices.
The 11th-generation iPad is limited to Wi-Fi 6, so if the 12th-generation version gets Wi-Fi 7, it will be able to connect to faster 6GHz networks for the first time. Bluetooth 6 would also be an improvement over Bluetooth 5.3. There is a chance that Apple is reserving the N1 chip for its more premium devices, based on leaked internal code. If that's the case, the iPad won't include the N1 chip.
Apple Modem
Apple has designed C1 and C1X modem chips that it has used in iPhones and iPads in 2025, and the next-generation version of the iPad could also get an Apple-designed modem chip for cellular models.
Apple's modem chips are more power efficient than Qualcomm chips while providing similar performance.
Pricing
The 11th-generation iPad is priced starting at $349 for 128GB of storage, and there are so far no indications that pricing is going to change for the 12th-generation model.
Launch Date
Apple will likely launch the low-cost iPad sometime next week, just ahead of the Special Experience planned for March 4.
Global memory scarcity will cause a 13 percent drop in smartphone sales in 2026, according to IDC (via Bloomberg). DRAM is in short supply because AI companies are buying huge quantities of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for servers in data centers, and manufacturers are prioritizing HBM instead of the memory used in consumer devices.
IDC says that the global memory supply has been drained into next year, putting smartphone makers in a tough spot. Prices have spiked because there's not enough memory to meet production needs, which will cause a smartphone market "crisis like no other."
Smartphone makers are expected to ship 1.1 billion devices in 2026, down from 1.26 billion in 2025.
"The tariffs and pandemic crisis seem a joke compared to this," said IDC Senior Research Director Nabila Popal. "The smartphone market will witness a seismic shift by the time this crisis is over -- in size, average selling prices and competitive landscape. We don't expect the situation to ease up until mid-2027, at least."
Cheap Android smartphones will be impacted most heavily by increasing DRAM costs, but Apple is well-positioned to avoid major impact because it focuses on more expensive, premium devices. Apple has more profit margin to work with and is better able to secure available DRAM supply.
Apple is expected to absorb higher memory costs in the short term, but it isn't unaffected by the shortages. Just today, a report suggested Apple is paying Samsung twice as much for the LPDDR5X memory chips that it needs for producing iPhone 17 models.
During Apple's January earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that memory price increases had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin during the 2025 holiday quarter, but the company is expecting a "bit more of an impact" during the first calendar quarter of 2026.
IDC says that even when the DRAM shortage is resolved, memory prices are not expected to return to 2025 levels, so there could be a permanent shift toward higher-priced smartphones.
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