Apple on Monday invited selected journalists and content creators to a "special Apple Experience" on Wednesday, March 4 in New York, London, and Shanghai.
At an Apple Experience, attendees are typically given the opportunity to try out Apple's latest hardware or software. Following the launch of Apple Creator Studio last month, for example, some content creators attended an Apple Experience in Los Angeles to go hands on with the new subscription-based bundle of apps and features.
The upcoming Apple Experience will likely not be as significant as a traditional Apple Event, but there is a good chance that new hardware will be announced, as well-known journalists such as Joanna Stern were invited this time around.
It seems likely that Apple will show off a new lower-cost MacBook at these gatherings. The invite graphic for the upcoming Apple Experience includes a colorful Apple logo with yellow, green, and blue discs, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple has tested those three colors and pink for the MacBook with an iPhone chip.
In our view, the second-most likely possibility is an iPhone 17e. The spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e is expected to have four key upgrades, including MagSafe, an A19 chip, a C1X modem for faster 5G, and an N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7.
Other fitting possibilities include an iPad Air with an M4 chip, an iPad 12 with an A18 chip, and a MacBook Air with an M5 chip.
We are also still waiting for quite a few smart home products, including an updated Apple TV, an updated HomePod mini, and an all-new Apple home hub, but it is unclear if any of those devices will be unveiled alongside this Apple Experience, especially given that there is still no sign of the more personalized version of Siri.
Finally, the wait continues for high-end products, like MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, an updated Mac Studio, and a new Studio Display. While nothing has been ruled out at this point, the colorful nature of this Apple Experience graphic suggests that Apple will be focused on some more colorful, lower-end products with mass appeal.
In New York, the Apple Experience begins on Wednesday, March 4 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. The gatherings in London and Shanghai will kick off simultaneously, although it will be later in the day in those cities due to time zone differences. Given it is not a traditional Apple Event, we do not expect Apple to provide a YouTube live stream.
Instead, we expect a new product or two to be announced in a press release or two on the Apple Newsroom website, and those who attend the Apple Experience in one of the three cities will be able to share hands-on photos and impressions.
