… And it’s only Wednesday! Are there more things to come? I’ll tell you tomorrow!
**Update – yes! Scroll to the bottom for the latest Apple news**
March 3–4, 2026 · Pre-orders open March 4 · All products ship March 11
Apple came out swinging in 2026. In the span of 48 hours, the company announced a new iPhone, two new Mac laptops, a refreshed iPad Air, and an entirely new display family – and a new MacBook! It’s one of the most exciting product weeks Apple has put together in recent memory.
The thread running through all of it is the M5 chip family: a new CPU architecture built around “super cores,” a GPU design with Neural Accelerators baked into every single core, and a new Fusion Architecture for the Pro and Max chips that stacks two 3nm dies into a single package. AI performance is dramatically faster across the board, and the products that benefit from it are genuinely impressive.
Here’s everything that shipped.
01 — iPhone 17e (Announced March 2)
A flagship-class iPhone at an accessible price.
The “e” used to mean you were making trade-offs. With iPhone 17e, it’s hard to find them. This generation ships with the same A19 chip that powers the rest of the iPhone 17 family, the same 48MP Fusion camera capable of optical-quality 2x Telephoto, and the same Ceramic Shield 2 front glass with 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation. At $899, the value here is exceptional.
The camera is a genuine highlight. The 48MP sensor does real computational work: it recognises people, dogs, and cats in the frame and saves depth information automatically, so you can convert any photo into a beautiful portrait after the fact. Next-generation HDR keeps skin tones accurate and shadows rich. 4K Dolby Vision video recording and Spatial Audio round out a camera system that punches well above its price point.
The modem upgrade is quietly one of the best parts. C1X delivers up to 2x faster cellular speeds than the C1 in iPhone 16e, and 30% less energy use than the modem in iPhone 16 Pro. Better connectivity and longer battery life in one chip.
Starting storage doubles to 256GB. MagSafe arrives for the first time on an “e” model, bringing 15W fast wireless charging and access to the full MagSafe accessory ecosystem. Three gorgeous colours to choose from: black, white, and a beautiful new soft pink matte finish.
Specs: A19 chip · 48MP Fusion camera with 2x Telephoto · 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED · 256GB starting storage · MagSafe 15W · IP68
Canadian pricing: From $899 (256GB)
02 — MacBook Air M5 (Announced March 3)
The world’s most popular laptop just got a lot more capable.
MacBook Air with M5 is the kind of update that makes an already-great product feel like a completely new machine. The 10-core CPU and GPU with Neural Accelerators in each core push AI performance up to 9.5x faster than M1 Air — and the memory bandwidth improvement of 28% over M4 means everything from switching apps to running local AI models feels noticeably snappier.
The storage upgrade alone is worth celebrating. 512GB is the new starting point, double what the previous generation shipped with, and for the first time, you can configure MacBook Air up to 4TB. The SSD is 2x faster, too. Creators importing large photo libraries, students running AI workloads on devices, developers compiling large codebases — all of them benefit immediately.
Performance benchmarks back up the feel: up to 6.9x faster AI video enhancement in Topaz Video versus M1 Air, up to 1.5x faster 3D rendering than M4 Air, and web browsing 50% faster than comparable Intel PC laptops. All of that while staying completely silent, thanks to the fanless design that MacBook Air has always done better than anyone else.
A stunning new sky blue colour joins midnight, starlight, and silver. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 arrive via the new N1 chip. The iconic thin, light aluminium design stays. The 18-hour battery stays. The starting price stays. There has never been a better MacBook Air.
Specs: M5 · 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU · 153 GB/s memory bandwidth · 512GB starting storage · Up to 4TB · Up to 18-hour battery · Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6
Canadian pricing: 13-inch from $1,499 · 15-inch from $1,799
03 — MacBook Pro M5 Pro & M5 Max (Announced March 3)
The most powerful pro laptop ever made. (And I need it!!)
MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max is a remarkable machine. The new Fusion Architecture — two 3nm dies combined into a single system on chip — is the foundation for performance numbers that genuinely redefine what a laptop can do.
Six “super cores” deliver the world’s fastest single-threaded CPU performance. Twelve all-new performance cores handle multithreaded workloads with extraordinary efficiency. Together they push CPU performance up to 30% faster than M4 Pro/Max and up to 2.5x faster than M1 Pro/Max. Engineers running complex simulations, developers compiling massive codebases, data scientists processing enormous datasets — this machine handles all of it with ease.
The AI story is where MacBook Pro truly pulls ahead. Neural Accelerators inside every GPU core push LLM prompt processing up to 4x faster than M4 Pro and up to 6.9x faster than M1 Pro. AI image generation hits up to 7.8x the speed of M1 Pro. For AI researchers and developers who want to train custom models locally, build and test LLM pipelines, or run advanced image generation workflows without cloud dependency, this is the most capable laptop that has ever existed.
M5 Pro supports up to 64GB unified memory at 307 GB/s. M5 Max doubles that to 128GB at 614 GB/s — the bandwidth needed to work seriously with large language models and 8K video in the same session. Storage starts at 1TB (M5 Pro) and 2TB (M5 Max), with SSD speeds hitting 14.5 GB/s. That’s 2x faster than the previous generation and fast enough to transform how you work with large datasets and ProRes footage.
All of this comes with up to 24 hours of battery life, three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI with 8K output, MagSafe 3, an SDXC card slot, a 12MP Center Stage webcam, and six-speaker Spatial Audio. The Liquid Retina XDR display with optional nano-texture glass remains the best display on any laptop. MacBook Pro has never been more deserving of the “pro” name.
Canadian pricing: 14-inch M5 Pro from $2,999 · 16-inch M5 Pro from $3,599 · 14-inch M5 Max from $4,999 · 16-inch M5 Max from $5,399
04 — Studio Display & Studio Display XDR (Announced March 3)
The best displays Apple has ever made.
Apple introduced a complete display family this week, and both products are impressive in their own right.
The refreshed Studio Display is a fantastic all-in-one display for Mac users. Thunderbolt 5 connectivity lets you daisy-chain up to four units — nearly 60 million combined pixels — through a single cable. The upgraded 12MP Center Stage camera now supports Desk View, so video calls are more engaging and more useful than before. Improved audio brings 30% deeper bass from four force-cancelling woofers. It’s a display that genuinely elevates the experience of working at a Mac all day.
The Studio Display XDR is extraordinary. It replaces the Pro Display XDR and surpasses it in every meaningful way. A mini-LED backlight with 2,304 local dimming zones delivers 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. HDR content looks stunning — deep blacks, brilliant highlights, virtually no blooming or halo effects. The 120Hz refresh rate with Adaptive Sync (47–120Hz) makes everything from video playback to gaming to cursor movement feel remarkably fluid.
Adobe RGB colour gamut support alongside P3 makes Studio Display XDR a serious reference display for print designers and colourists who need accurate, professional colour. The counterbalanced tilt-and-height-adjustable stand — 105mm of range, feeling nearly weightless — is one of the nicest hardware details Apple has shipped in years.
Both displays share the 12MP Center Stage camera, studio-quality three-microphone array, and six-speaker Spatial Audio system. Both offer Thunderbolt 5 and optional nano-texture glass.
Canadian pricing: Studio Display from $2,099 · Studio Display XDR from $4,499
05 — iPad Air M4 (Announced March 2)
The most versatile iPad just got a significant boost.
iPad Air with M4 is a compelling upgrade that delivers meaningful gains without raising the starting price. Unified memory jumps 50% to 12GB, memory bandwidth increases to 120 GB/s, and overall performance is 30% faster than M3 Air and 2.3x faster than M1 Air. The 16-core Neural Engine handles on-device AI tasks with impressive speed, from searching photos by subject to running powerful AI features in creative apps.
Two connectivity upgrades stand out. N1 brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, improving performance and reliability across the board. C1X, Apple’s custom cellular modem arriving in iPad for the first time, delivers up to 50% faster cellular speeds while using 30% less energy. For students, business travelers, and creators who rely on cellular connectivity, this is a genuinely meaningful improvement.
iPadOS 26 makes the whole package shine. The new windowing system is the most capable and intuitive iPad has ever had. A redesigned Files app, a supercharged Spotlight, a new menu bar accessible from the top of the display, and the beautiful Liquid Glass redesign transform what working on iPad feels like. Combined with Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard support, iPad Air with M4 is the best tool for creative and productive work that Apple has ever put in this form factor.
Canadian pricing: 11-inch Wi-Fi from $799 · 13-inch Wi-Fi from $1,099 · Cellular models from $999 and $1,299
The Bigger Picture
What makes this launch week special is more than any single product; it’s the coherence of the vision behind all of them. Apple has built Neural Accelerators into the GPU core architecture of every chip announced this week: M5, M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M4. Every product in this lineup runs local AI workloads with serious performance. That’s a deliberate architectural commitment, and the result is a product lineup where powerful on-device AI is genuinely accessible to everyone, from students buying their first MacBook Air to researchers running custom LLMs on a MacBook Pro M5 Max.
These are some of the best products Apple has ever shipped. Pre-orders open March 4. Everything arrives on March 11.
Thursday, March 4 – They did it again!
Apple’s most affordable laptop ever — and it doesn’t feel like it.
This one came out of nowhere, and it might be the most exciting announcement of the whole week. MacBook Neo is a brand new product category for Apple: a laptop built from the ground up to be accessible, starting at just $799 Canadian. That’s the same price as an iPad Air. For a full Mac.
Don’t let the price fool you into thinking Apple cut corners. The enclosure is aluminum, it comes in four genuinely fun colours — blush, indigo, silver, and a new citrus — and the 13-inch Liquid Retina display runs at 500 nits with support for 1 billion colours. It’s brighter and sharper than most PC laptops at twice the price.
The chip inside is A18 Pro, pulled straight from the iPhone lineup, and it absolutely flies through everyday tasks. Apple says it’s 50% faster for web browsing than the bestselling Intel Core Ultra 5 PC, and up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads. The 16-core Neural Engine handles Apple Intelligence features locally, keeping everything private. And like MacBook Air, it’s completely fanless — totally silent, all the time.
Battery life hits up to 16 hours on a single charge. The Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad are the same ones you’d expect from any Mac. A 1080p FaceTime camera and dual mics with directional beamforming make video calls look and sound clean. Two USB-C ports handle charging and accessories, and Bluetooth 6 keeps wireless peripherals rock solid.
The most impressive stat might be this: MacBook Neo is made with 60% recycled content, the highest percentage of any Apple product ever. Apple calls it their lowest-carbon MacBook, which is a remarkable thing to be able to say about a new product.
For students, first-time Mac buyers, anyone switching from Windows, or anyone who just wants a beautiful, capable laptop without spending $1,500 — MacBook Neo is a compelling answer to a question Apple has never really addressed before. The Mac has always been premium. Now it doesn’t have to be.
Specs: A18 Pro · 5-core GPU · 16-core Neural Engine · 13-inch Liquid Retina display (500 nits) · Up to 16-hour battery · Wi-Fi 6E / Bluetooth 6 · Fanless · 2.7 lbs
Canadian pricing: From $799 ($679 for education)
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