Apple officially unveiled a major update to its hardware lineup this March 2026, introducing a highly anticipated wave of new devices. Leading the charge is the all-new MacBook Neo, a budget-friendly laptop designed to compete with Chromebooks. In addition to this colorful entry-level device, the company announced powerful upgrades to its premium tier, launching the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro powered by advanced M5 chips.
These latest releases reflect a clear push toward expanding accessibility while catering to heavy artificial intelligence workloads. Alongside the sweeping computer updates, the technology giant introduced the new iPhone 17e and refreshed the iPad Air, offering a comprehensive suite of upgraded hardware for casual users and professionals alike.
The All-New Entry-Level MacBook Neo
For the first time, Apple is targeting a more cost-conscious demographic with the introduction of the MacBook Neo. Starting at a breakthrough price of $599, this 13-inch laptop is aimed at students and users whose daily routines do not require intensive computing power like high-resolution video editing.
Apple achieved this price point by equipping the MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip, the exact processor that debuted in the 2024 iPhone 16 Pro models. The laptop features a completely fanless design, a 16-core Neural Engine, and a 5-core GPU. Apple notes this hardware allows the Neo to perform up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks compared to bestselling PCs running the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 processor. For on-device AI tasks, it operates up to three times faster.
The MacBook Neo features a vibrant design in four colors: silver, blush, citrus, and indigo. The base $599 model includes 256 gigabytes of storage, while an upgraded $699 version provides 512 gigabytes of storage and a Touch ID sensor. Battery life is rated for up to 16 hours. The device also includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, two USB-C ports, and side-firing speakers supporting Spatial Audio.
M5 MacBook Air Delivers Battery and Storage Boosts
Moving up the product tier, the newly updated MacBook Air laptops now feature the next-generation M5 processors. Apple explicitly designed these new chips to handle complex artificial intelligence tasks, boasting up to four times faster AI performance compared to the previous M4 generation.
The latest MacBook Air lineup features a 13-inch model starting at $1,099 and a 15-inch model starting at $1,299. Buyers can choose from four finishes: sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. A major upgrade for this generation is the base storage capacity, which has doubled to 512 gigabytes.
The M5 MacBook Air offers up to 18 hours of battery life, a significant six-hour increase over the last Intel-based laptops released in 2020. The hardware also includes a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, a three-microphone array, a MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a sound system equipped with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.
Premium Power With the M5 MacBook Pro
For technical professionals and creative experts, the new MacBook Pro models bring serious performance gains. Equipped with the advanced M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, these laptops are built to handle intensive AI models and demanding creative software. Large language model prompt processing is up to four times faster than the M4 equivalents, while AI image generation speeds are up to eight times faster than the original M1 Pro and Max chips.
Available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, the new MacBook Pro models come in black or silver. The M5 Pro models start at $2,199 for the 14-inch and $2,699 for the 16-inch, both featuring 1 terabyte of base storage. The robust M5 Max configurations bump the base storage to 2 terabytes, starting at $3,599 for the 14-inch and $3,899 for the 16-inch version.
These machines feature read and write speeds that double the previous generation, Thunderbolt 5 support, and a premium six-speaker audio setup. Battery life maxes out at 24 hours. Using a 96-watt or higher USB-C adapter, users can charge the battery to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.
Updates to the iPhone and iPad Air
Rounding out the announcements, the company unveiled the iPhone 17e and a refreshed iPad Air. Retailing at a starting price of $599, the iPhone 17e features the new A19 chip and the second-generation C1X modem for improved 5G connectivity. It also doubles the base storage to 256 gigabytes and adds MagSafe compatibility for magnetic wireless charging.
All newly announced laptop models are currently available for preorder, with official retail availability scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 11.
