New MacBooks, the iPhone 17E, and more: everything we know about Apple’s March 2026 announcements
Apple is kicking off March with a flurry of product announcements ahead of a “special Apple experience” on March 4th in New York City, London, and Shanghai.
Apple started on March 2nd by announcing the iPhone 17E. The new $599 phone has a lot of welcome additions over the iPhone 16E like support for MagSafe charging, doubled base storage of 256GB, and a Ceramic Shield 2 display, all for the same starting price. The same day, Apple also revealed a new iPad Air powered by an M4 chip, a bump up from the previous version’s M3 chip. March 3rd brought announcements of MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the MacBook Air with an M5 chip, and a Studio Display refresh, including a new Mini LED-equipped XDR model.
But the company may be saving the most interesting news for last; Apple is rumored to be launching a lower-cost MacBook that’s powered by an iPhone chip instead of an M-series processor. Apple itself may have leaked the name of this new machine: it might be called the MacBook Neo.
Read on for all of our coverage of Apple’s March 2026 announcements.
- Apple’s website leaks MacBook ‘Neo,’ which could be its new cheaper laptop
- Apple’s new Studio Display XDR adds a Mini LED upgrade
- Apple launches M5 Pro and M5 Max chips
- Apple announces M5 MacBook Air and updated MacBook Pro
- How the new iPhone 17E stacks up against Apple’s pricier phones
- Apple announces the iPhone 17E
- Apple launches a new iPad Air with an upgraded M4 processor
- Apple’s doing something on March 4th
Google accelerates Chrome release cycle
Google is moving its Chrome browser to a two-week release cycle, instead of the current four, or the six-week cycle that existed for the decade before that. The change starts in September.
"Building on our history of adapting our release process to match the demands of a modern web, Chrome is moving to a two-week release cycle," the company said in a blog post.
The goal is to give users and developers faster access to performance improvements, fixes, and new capabilities. The smaller scope of the releases should also simplify debugging. The change applies to desktop, Android, and iOS, and begins with the stable release of Chrome 153 on Sep …
Microsoft’s big developer conference returns to San Francisco in June
Microsoft is moving its annual Build developer conference from Seattle back to San Francisco and making some changes along the way. This year, the event will be held at Fort Mason, the former US Army post located in the San Francisco Bay Area, instead of the bustling downtown of Seattle. Microsoft is moving Build to this location to capture the AI buzz of San Francisco and to make the event more intimate.
"There are great conferences that are enormous, and part of it is just the sprawl and scale of it, and there are great conferences that are tiny that are really a personalized experience," says Kyle Daigle, chief operating officer at GitHu …
You can soon live out your James Bond fantasies with retractable stud winter tires
In 1987's The Living Daylights, James Bond presses a dashboard button to activate retractable tire studs, giving the Aston Martin V8 Vantage he's driving more traction on a frozen lake. That tire technology is no longer limited to the movies. Later this year, Finnish tire brand Nokian is planning to launch a new snow tire with studs that automatically deploy when temperatures drop. The Hakkapeliitta 01 tire will debut in North American and Europe in a variety of sizes, with a focus on Nordic countries.
Studded tires are an effective way to improve grip and handling when driving in slippery conditions caused by ice or snow. But when roads a …
Apple’s website leaks MacBook ‘Neo,’ which could be its new cheaper laptop
On Tuesday, during Apple's weeklong product launch event, a listing for the "MacBook Neo (Model A3404)" appeared on a regulatory compliance page on Apple's website under its lineup of 2026 MacBooks. First spotted by MacRumors, the listing appears to be an accident and has since been removed, but may have been a leaked reference to a rumored entry-level MacBook. Unfortunately, it didn't include any additional details beyond the device's name and model number.
Apple has reportedly been working on a budget-friendly MacBook priced under $1,000 and powered by an iPhone …
EA continues to ‘evolve’ The Sims 4 with new virtual currency and a ‘maker’ program
EA is adding some big changes to The Sims 4: Later this month, it's introducing an in-game marketplace where users can buy creator-made items using a new in-game currency called "Moola." The announcements mark another big shift for the game, which went free to play back in 2022.
Creators who want to sell in-game items will have to be part of the new Maker Program, which will be open to applications starting March 5th. EA will offer a "Maker Suite" that "provides official tools, resources, and clear guidelines" to ensure content made by creators works well when it's actually in the game.
On the marketplace, Makers will be able to list their …
Unihertz’s new QWERTY phone is even more like a Blackberry
Unihertz, known for its slab phone alternatives, has unveiled an evolution of its device with a physical keyboard: The Titan 2 Elite. It's smaller and sleeker than the (aptly named) Titan that precedes it, comes in the orange color that's all the rage right now, and looks a heck of a lot like a Blackberry.
Unihertz teased the Elite in January; from the teaser it looked to be a smaller Titan 2 with rounded edges. Having seen it in person at MWC, I can confirm that's exactly what it is. The keys are slightly smaller than the Titan 2's, and there's no secondary screen on the back of the new device. Like its predecesso …
The best mobile tech announced at MWC 2026 so far
Mobile World Congress 2026 is still in full swing in Barcelona, Spain, with announcements continuing to come from the mobile-focused show that runs until March 5th.
To make sure you don't miss the best new smartphones, laptops, concepts, and accessories, we're rounding up all the most newsworthy gadgets that have debuted so far at MWC 2026. And if you want to stay on top of all the news, you can follow our full coverage of the show right here.
Lenovo AI Workmate Concept
Lenovo didn't skimp on the concepts at MWC this year, but its AI Workmate might be the most peculiar. The device looks like a tiny robot arm but instead of a manipulator o …
All of Amazon’s kid-friendly Kindles are on sale, including the color version
Let me let you in on a little secret: Amazon’s kid-friendly e-readers are a better deal than the standard models. Each so-called “Kids” device is identical to its non-Kids counterpart, except that it comes with a protective case, an extended two-year warranty against damage, and six months of Amazon Kids Plus. They also include optional parental controls and exclude ads, letting you skip the $20 upcharge Amazon typically requires to remove its pesky lockscreen notices.
Thankfully, there are three Kids models to choose from, all of which are discounted right now. The one we’d recommend for most people, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, is currently on sale for $149.99 ($30 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is the lowest price we’ve seen since last year. The entry-level Kindle Kids, meanwhile, is down to $109.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, while the Colorsoft Kids can be had for $219.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy for a limited time.
Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2024)
Where to Buy:
The differences between the three models aren’t massive, but they’re worth flagging. All three e-readers feature a crisp 300ppi display, weekslong battery life, and 16GB of storage, which should allow you to store thousands of Kindle books. However, with the Paperwhite and Colorsoft Kids, you also get a slightly larger 7-inch display, IPX8 waterproofing, and adjustable warm lighting. The latter Kindle also uses the same color E Ink tech as e-readers like the Kobo Libra Colour, allowing you to view monochrome or color content (at 150ppi).
Having used the Colorsoft Kids on several occasions, I wouldn’t say it’s going to be a must-have upgrade for most folks. Then again, if you love magazines, graphic novels, or a good book cover, it’s the best color e-reader in its price range — and that’s without a $50 discount.
Kindle Colorsoft Kids (2025)
Where to Buy:
More deals and discounts
- If you want a truly excellent MagSafe-ready phone grip, the Snap Grip 5 is on sale directly from Ohsnap in a variety of attractive colors starting at $19.99 ($20 off). It’s not vastly different than hundreds of rival iPhone grips on the market — you can hold it between two fingers like a PopSocket, or attach it to your fridge or a magnetic car mount — but the double-sided magnet ring is one of the most powerful available. Just ask our own Sean Hollister.
- Evovac’s Deebot X8 Pro Omni is on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $649 ($450 off), an all-time low. The last-gen robot vacuum / mop touts a commendable 18,000Pa of suction power, an extendable roller mop for hitting tricky spots, and a great anti-tangle brush that’s less prone to getting stuck. The real selling point, however, is the fact that it can clean its roller as it goes using 16 onboard water nozzles, which is nothing short of nifty.
- Sure, Apple’s latest AirTags aren’t particularly expensive, but why shell out for a dedicated location tracker when you can pick up a wall charger that has one baked in? Twelve South’s 120W PlugBug with Find My, which is currently on sale at Amazon for a new low of $56 ($44 off), lets you track down the four-port USB-C charger (or whatever bag it’s in) using your phone and Apple’s vast Find My network. It’s also fast enough to charge larger laptops while in use, or several smaller devices at the same time.
We played Pokémon Pokopia, ask us anything
Pokémon's 30th anniversary is here and Nintendo (and The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Omega Force) are kicking things off with a surprisingly excellent life simulation spinoff game. Pokémon Pokopia arrives on March 5th, and it's one of the first Pokémon titles that will debut exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2. Equal parts Animal Crossing, Minecraft, and Dragon Quest Builders, Pokopia reimagines the Pokémon world as a massive, human-free paradise that you can rebuild however you want. Pokopia easily could have been a straightforward game about making friends and crafting neighborhoods. But as our review discusses, Pokopia's a much bigg …