2026-02-17
Apple Spring Event 2026: When it’s expected, how to watch, and all the rumors
MacworldExpectations are high that Apple is planning a number of new product releases in the spring 2026 time frame, including the iPhone 17e and new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, but will the company hold a spring event, and if it does, when will Apple’s spring event take place? With Apple sending out invites to select journalists for March 4, it certainly looks like something will be launching soon, but it’s less clear if this will be at a live-streamed event since the invitations are to an ‘experience’ rather than an event. In this article, we explain what you need to know about Apple’s rumored spring event, including the expected timing, how to watch it, and what Apple might launch. Will Apple hold a spring event in 2026?Apple’s spring event in 2026 is more of an ‘Experience’.AppleApple is hosting ‘Special Experiences’ on March 4 in London, New York and Shanghai. The 4 March experiences may not translate to an Apple Event, but a number of new products are thought to be coming in the spring timeframe and we could see these launch in conjunction. Apple has issued invites to a ‘Special Apple Experience’ in at least three locations (U.S., U.K. and China) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. While Apple often unveils new products at a live-streamed event, in recent years it has been doing so less frequently, for example, in spring 2025 we saw a series of event-free Apple launches: the iPhone 16e debuted on February 19, followed by updated iPad and iPad Air models announced via press release on March 4. A day later, Apple introduced the M4 MacBook Air and Mac Studio in a separate announcement.Even if Apple chooses to keep these ‘experiences’ behind doors – rather than holding a live-streamed event – it appears that there will be hands-on sessions, which suggests that there will be new products.For more detail on Apple’s calendar of events, read When is the next Apple event?When is the Spring Apple event 2026?Wednesday, March 4, 2026: ‘Apple Special Experience’ confirmed.Apple has invited some members of the press to a ‘Special Apple Experience’ on March 4.The timing of this March 4 ‘experience’ coincides with Mobile World Congress – running from March 2-5, 2026. Various major phones launched at MWC in 2025, including Samsung’s Galaxy A series (A26, A36, A56) featuring Galaxy AI. Even before Apple announced the ‘experiences’ on March 4, we had suggested that if Apple wants to steal the show with the iPhone 17e launch, it could do it that week. What time will Apple’s spring event start?The 4 March ‘experience’ is set to start at the same time in the three locations Apple is holding it at: New York: 9amLondon: 2pmShanghai: 10pmWhat will Apple launch in spring 2026?There are plenty of rumors suggesting that new Apple products are in the pipeline. iPhone updateFoundry | Alex Walker-ToddThere is said to be an iPhone 17e, an update to the iPhone 16e and a value-oriented alternative to the iPhone 17, coming this spring. Read more here: iPhone 17e: Everything you need to know.iPad updatesA refreshed iPad Air featuring the M4 chip is expected to launch early in the year.A new entry-level iPad equipped with the A19 chip is also predicted for the spring lineup.MacBook updatesMacBook Air and MacBook Pro updates are coming soon.FoundryWhile the entry-level M5 MacBook Pro launched in late 2025, the more powerful MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max configurations are expected to arrive in spring 2026. Read more here: MacBook Pro M5 Pro & Max release date – Where are the Pro MacBooks?A new MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip is also slated to launch this spring. Read more here: M5 MacBook Air: Everything you need to know before it launches.There are also rumors that Apple will launch a low cost MacBook.Home and AIApple is reportedly developing a smart home hub with a built-in screen, often referred to as the “HomePad“.The spring of 2026 is expected to be a turning point for Apple’s software ecosystem, specifically regarding its voice assistant, however, AI updates to Siri are said to be delayed (again). How to watch Apple’s spring eventAppleThe best way to watch an Apple event – if there is one – would be to get an invite to attend in person, but most of us won’t be so lucky. Fortunately, Apple will also live stream the presentation so everyone can watch along.The first place to try is right at the top of this article where we will have embedded Apple’s YouTube stream. You can also watch on Apple’s events page, which will have the live stream on the night. Indeed, the main Apple.com home page usually shows the presentation while it is happening.If you’ve got an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple TV, or a Mac–assuming the device has sufficiently up-to-date software–you can watch the stream on the TV app. PC owners can also watch, but will need to visit Apple’s site as mentioned above.After the event is finished, it will also be available to rewatch in the Podcasts and TV apps, and on Apple’s website.Finally, Apple has for certain events in the past held broadcast events in Apple Stores, so it may be worth contacting your nearest outlet to see if they have anything planned.More information about watching the event here: How to watch Apple’s event.When were Apple’s past spring events heldApple previously held a Spring event on the following dates:2025: no event2024: Tuesday May 7: (“Let Loose“): 11 & 14-inch iPad Pro M4, 11 & 14-inch iPad Air M2, Apple Pencil Pro2023: no event2022, Tuesday March 8: (“Peek Performance,” virtual): New iPhone SE, new iPad Air, Mac Studio and Studio Display, and new iPhone color options2021, Tuesday April 20: (“Spring Loaded,” virtual): New iPad Pro and iMac, Apple TV 4K, AirTags, new iPhone color options and iOS 14.72020: no event2019, Monday March 25: (“It’s show time“): Apple Card, and the News+, TV+, and Arcade subscription services2018, Tuesday March 27: (“Let’s take a field trip“): New iPad and education announcements2017: no event2016, Monday March 21: (“Let us loop you in“): iPad Pro, iPhone SE, and software updates2015, Monday March 9: (“Spring Forward“): Apple Watch, a new MacBook, and iOS 8.22014: no event2013: no event2012, Wednesday March 7: (“We have something you really have to see. And touch“): 3rd-gen Apple TV and 3rd-gen iPadDoes Apple always hold a spring event? In spring 2025, there was a series of event-free Apple launches: the iPhone 16e debuted on February 19, followed by updated iPad and iPad Air models announced via press release on March 4. A day later, Apple introduced the M4 MacBook Air and Mac Studio in a separate announcement.Traditionally Apple execs take to the stage to unveil new products. Apple has held six spring events over the past decade, with notable gaps in 2017, 2020, 2023, and 2025; Apple may well have held an event in 2020 if it wasn’t for the pandemic). Apple doesn’t always hold a spring event, but when it does, it usually takes place in March or April – with the exception of 2024, when Apple surprised us all by issuing invites to an event on May 7.Will Apple once again roll out its spring products without an event, or will it return to a keynote-style presentation to maximise attention on new announcements? As we asked previously, is the era of the Apple event over? We hope not. Apple’s spring event is one of the three or four big events in Apple’s yearly cycle of announcements. There’s the big iPhone/Mac software announcements at WWDC in the summer, the iPhone launch in September, sometimes we see Apple make Mac and iPad announcements in October or November, and (some years) we get some hardware reveals at a spring event in March or April. At these events Apple executives hit the stage–whether real or virtual–and boast about some recent successes, before revealing what new products are about to launch. In recent years Apple has moved away from holding events to launch new products. It’s continued to hold a keynote to kick off WWDC in June and an event to celebrate the launch of a new iPhone in September, but the spring and late fall events have become less certain, but for not for any lack of product announcements.What has Apple launched in past spring events?You can still watch the spring 2024 event on YouTube.Here’s what Apple has announced at previous spring events:2024: Tuesday May 7: New iPad Air (M2) and iPad Pro (M4) models. Updates to Magic keyboards for iPads and new Apple Pencil Pro. Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro updates. 2023: no event2022, Tuesday March 8: (“Peek Performance,” virtual): New iPhone SE, new iPad Air, Mac Studio and Studio Display, and new iPhone color options2021, Tuesday April 20: (“Spring Loaded,” virtual): New iPad Pro and iMac, Apple TV 4K, AirTags, new iPhone color options and iOS 14.72020: no event2019, Monday March 25: (“It’s show time”): Apple Card, and the News+, TV+, and Arcade subscription services2018, Tuesday March 27: (“Let’s take a field trip”): New iPad and education announcements2017: no event2016, Monday March 21: (“Let us loop you in”): iPad Pro, iPhone SE, and software updates2015, Monday March 9: (“Spring Forward”): Apple Watch, a new MacBook, and iOS 8.22014: no event2013: no event2012, Wednesday March 7: (“We have something you really have to see. And touch”): 3rd-gen Apple TV and 3rd-gen iPadWhat happens at an Apple event?Like most tech-company launch events, it will feature both fluff and substance. Expect some tedious bragging at the beginning; this may cover such topics as operating system adoption rates, hardware customer reviews, and eco-friendly manufacturing policies. But Apple wouldn’t hold an event if there wasn’t something worth hearing, and we should get into proper announcements within 10 minutes or so.Generally, you can expect multiple separate announcements at an Apple event.What time do Apple’s events usually startApple’s events generally start at 10 am in local (California, PT) time, but in May 2024 the event started at 7am PT.Here’s what that time translated to in various locations around the world:U.K.: 3 pm (BST)Central Europe: 4 pm (CEST)U.S.: 7 am (PT), 8 am (MT), 9 am (CT), 10 am (ET)Canada: 7 am (PT), 8 am (MT), 9 am (CT), 10 am (ET)India: 7.30 pm (IST)Singapore and China: 11 pmJapan: next day at 2 am (JST)Australia: 11 pm (AWST), 11.30 pm (ACST), midnight (AEST)New Zealand: next day at 2 am (NZST)If Apple holds the event at the usual time of 10am PT the timing will be as follows (allow for daylight saving time changes, which happen at different times around the world).U.S.: at 10 am (PST/PDT), 11 am (MST/MDT), noon (CST/CDT), 1 pm (EST/EDT)Canada: as above, and 2 pm (AST/ADT)U.K.: at 6 pm (GMT/BST)Europe: at 7pm (CET/CEST), 8 pm (EET/EEST)India: at 10.30 pm (IST)Australia: Next day at 1 am (AWST/AWDT), 2.30 am (ACST/ACDT), 3 am (AEST/AEDT)New Zealand: Next day at 5 am (NZST/NZDT)Apple events generally last between one and two hours.
