Apple Announces 'Apple Experience' Event, Unveils New MacBook

The tech giant's first major event of 2026 promises a new affordable laptop and more.

Feb. 18, 2026 at 8:31am

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Apple has officially announced its first 'Apple Experience' event of 2026, set to take place on Wednesday, March 4th in London, New York, and Shanghai. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo built up from discs in yellow, green, and blue, hinting at new product colors. While details are scarce, the event is expected to showcase a range of new products, including a completely new MacBook model that will be Apple's cheapest laptop in years, priced around 800 euros.

Why it matters

Apple's decision to host a multi-city 'Apple Experience' event rather than a traditional product launch at its Cupertino headquarters signals a shift in the company's event strategy. The new affordable MacBook model is also significant, as Apple aims to compete with a wide range of laptop manufacturers by offering a lower-cost option without sacrificing too much performance.

The details

The new MacBook will be powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than one of Apple's own M-series chips. This cost-saving measure will allow for a lower starting price, around 300 euros less than the current MacBook Air. Despite using an iPhone chip, the A18 Pro is expected to offer performance on par with the M1 chip. The MacBook will also have a slightly smaller 12.9-inch display compared to the Air, and a new aluminum chassis available in a range of trendy colors like light yellow, light green, blue, and pink, in addition to the traditional silver and space gray.

  • Apple has officially announced the 'Apple Experience' event for Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
  • The event will take place simultaneously in London, New York, and Shanghai.

The players

Apple

A multinational technology company that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.

Mark Gurman

A technology journalist and reporter who covers Apple and other tech companies for Bloomberg News.

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What they’re saying

“Apple soon wants to introduce a completely new MacBook, which will also be called that: MacBook. No Air, no Pro, but for the first time again a 'normal' model since 2019.”

— Mark Gurman, Technology Journalist (Bloomberg News)

What’s next

Apple is expected to announce a range of new products in the period leading up to the 'Apple Experience' event on March 4th, including an iPad Air with the M4 chip, a standard iPad with the A18 chip, and an affordable iPhone 17e.

The takeaway

Apple's 'Apple Experience' event signals a shift in the company's event strategy, moving away from traditional product launches at its Cupertino headquarters. The new affordable MacBook model demonstrates Apple's efforts to compete in the broader laptop market by offering a lower-cost option without sacrificing too much performance.