Apple Launch Event 2026 LIVE Updates: iPhone 17e unveiled at $599, pre-orders open March 4

Apple has kicked off a fresh wave of product launches with the unveiling of the Apple iPhone 17e and a refreshed iPad Air, signalling a busy launch week for the tech giant, Bloomberg reported.

The new devices mark the first in a series of announcements expected over the coming days, with Apple also preparing to introduce new laptops, including its first entry-level MacBook powered by an iPhone-grade chip.

Both the iPhone 17e and the updated iPad Air will be available for pre-orders from March 4, with in-store availability starting March 11.

Apple on Monday unveiled the iPhone 17e, positioning it as a more affordable addition to its lineup with a starting price of $599 for the 256GB variant.

Apple on Monday unveiled the iPhone 17e, positioning it as a more affordable option in its smartphone lineup, with prices starting at $599. The launch comes as the tech giant looks to protect its market share amid intense competition in the global handset space, Reuters reported.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 17e are expected to open this week, with availability rolling out across key markets in phases. Apple has increasingly leaned on its lower-priced models to attract new buyers and retain customers in price-sensitive regions.

The iPhone 17e is aimed at consumers seeking a balance between performance and affordability, as rival brands continue to push aggressively in the mid-range smartphone segment.

Apple is expected to unveil an updated MacBook Air powered by its next-generation M5 chip later this week. Reports also suggest the company is working on an OLED-display MacBook Air, likely to debut by 2028, while an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro could arrive as early as the end of 2026.

The MacBook Air has seen no major design overhaul since the M2 model. A transition from LCD to OLED would mark one of its biggest upgrades yet and, if Apple sticks to its current roadmap, could feature in a future iteration, possibly around the M7 generation.

iPad Air is expected to come with the same design language as its predecessor. The tablet could get an upgrade in terms of processor with the Apple M4 SoC likely being used by the company this time around. The chipset is about 30 percent faster than M3 while the GPU is around 21 percent faster.

Apple did not give support for MagSafe charging on the iPhone 16e but that's likely about to change wit its successor. Reports indicate that the phone could come with 15W of MagSafe charging support, a big upgrade over the meagre 7.5W of charging support on the iPhone 16e.

iPhone 17e likely to feature the same 48MP single camera setup on the back like last year. The big improvement this year could be the inclusion of a 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera with autofocus support. However, some leaks have indicated even that might be too ambitious of an upgrade for the budget iPhone.

In a post on X last week, Tim Cook showed what looked like a MacBook with an Apple logo. The Apple CEO also said that the new devices would be launching starting from Monday morning. Since that timing is likely based on the US window, it should translate to a 7 to 8 PM India time frame

iPhone 17e could come with Apple C1x modem that the Cupertino based tech giant had debuted with the iPhone Air last year. The new modem is expected to be 2 times faster than the C1 modem which was seen on the iPhone 16e.

Apple is unlikely to hold a separate event for launcing most of the products this week. The device will rather be unveiled via press releases on the official Apple website. You can also track the live-blog right here for latest coverage on the Apple launches.

If leaks are to be believed, the low-cost MacBook could come with an aluminium chasis. The device is likely to come with a 12.9 or 13-inch display.

The device is expected to use an A-series chip to save up on the costs. Meanwhile, other cost-saving measures could include no support for backlit keyboard, slower SSD speeds and the lack of N1 chip.

As per a report by 9to5Mac, Apple is expected to launch an iPad Air with M4 chip and an entry level iPad with A18 processor soon. The biggest upgrade on the entry level iPad with the addition of Apple Intelligence (Apple's AI features) which will now be supported due to the more powerful processor and higher RAM.

The timing for Apple's new launches is not yet revealed but it is likely that the company will unveil the new devices via press release which suggests around a 7-8PM timeline for the launches. Tim Cook had also shared that the new launches will begin Monday morning.

Apple has not given a lineup of what the products it will be launching from today. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the company is planning to launch at least 5 products during the launch spree. The first upgrade in the lineup could be a MacBook Air or Pro series device that could be unveiled today.