Apple is approaching its product launches differently these days, going beyond its one spectacular event in September for the latest iPhone release. That strategy shift is evident this week, as the company announced major products like the iPhone 17e, new iPad Air and new MacBooks, even before its "special Apple experience," scheduled for 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, March 4.

Apple's invites often contain clues about what might be revealed at the event. Last September's Awe-Dropping event invite teased the new vapor chamber cooling system for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models and a new pumpkin color.

The invitation for Wednesday's event features a three-dimensional shape composed of thinly sliced yellow, green and blue glass. One popular theory says the image is a nod toward the retro rainbow Apple logo from previous Mac branding, meaning new colorful MacBooks could be a part of the show.

While many events are hardware reveals, this week's "Apple Experience" will reportedly provide a chance for the media to get hands-on time with the new Apple products. Apple is likely saving some of its biggest product announcements for its annual September event. It doesn't seem like the most radical rumored new product in the MacBook lineup will make its debut during this week's event. 

Here's everything we've seen so far and what else we are expecting from Apple's event on Wednesday. 

MacBook chipset refreshes (and maybe something entirely different)

We're expecting a whole host of new MacBook computers throughout 2026, and today marked the debut of the new MacBook M5 Pro, MacBook M5 Max and MacBook Air.

• The bread and butter of this spring product update is the MacBook Pros. The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro was already available, and the higher-powered MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips made their debut on Tuesday, March 3.

• The MacBook Air also received an M5 chip upgrade, and it will be hitting store shelves at the same time as the M5 Pro and M5 Max. All of the new MacBooks will be available for preorder on March 4 and land in stores on March 11.

• We might finally see the long-rumored budget MacBook or the first OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro. Signs point toward the budget MacBook making its debut on Wednesday. The OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro is a much bigger deal, and it's rumored to debut later in the year, so it's doubtful it will be part of the March event.

A familiar addition rounds out the iPhone 17 lineup

Apple's annual iPhone unveiling happens in September, so we've had nearly half a year to get acquainted with the iPhone 17 lineup (including the new iPhone Air). Just like its predecessor, the iPhone 16E, the iPhone 17E was launched in the spring, with Apple announcing it earlier this week on Monday, March 2.

• The new iPhone 17E replaces the iPhone 16E while maintaining its same $599 price. The new iPhone is shipping with an A19 processor, MagSafe technology and a new C1X cellular modem. Rumors of a switch from a notch to the Dynamic Island did not come to fruition.

A new generation of iPads could integrate familiar technology

It's been a year since the 11th-gen iPads were released with their A16 processors. We expect Apple to give these devices a solid performance overhaul for Wednesday's event, introducing a new generation of iPads with more powerful chipsets. 

The iPad Air received an early update announcement on Tuesday, March 4, as the company unveiled new 11- and 13-inch versions with starting prices of $599 and $799, respectively.

• The 12th-generation iPads are rumored to feature A18 processors, making them the first in Apple's tablet lineup to support Apple Intelligence features.

• The iPad Air skipped the M3 chipset upgrade and went straight to the M4 processor.

Be sure to check back with CNET on Wednesday for full coverage of everything else Apple announces at the event.