Apple has advised its retail store employees to expect a "major rush" of customers this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Apple teased "a big week ahead," with announcements starting Monday.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said some employees believe Apple's preparations for new products this week are "on par with what happens before the debut of new iPhones in the fall," suggesting that at least one of the devices set to be unveiled between Monday and Wednesday will have "major mainstream appeal."
The new product likely to receive the most interest is the rumored lower-cost MacBook, which is described as an "incredible value" within Apple, according to the newsletter. Apple believes that a more affordable MacBook will help to "drive a serious number of switchers from Windows machines and Chromebooks," wrote Gurman.
While there have been no concrete rumors about the lower-cost MacBook's starting price, estimates range from $599 to $799 in the United States. In any case, qualifying college students and educators should receive $100 off the regular price.
The lower-cost MacBook is expected to be powered by the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, rather than an M-series chip, and it will reportedly have a smaller 12.9-inch display. Based on A18 Pro specs, this MacBook will likely have 8GB of RAM, and the laptop will likely have regular USB-C ports instead of faster Thunderbolt ports.
Like the iBook from the early 2000s, it has been rumored that this MacBook will come in fun color options, like yellow, green, blue, and/or pink.
Beyond the lower-cost MacBook, most if not all of the other new products coming this week are expected to feature upgraded chips and little else. Possibilities include an iPhone 17e with an A19 chip, an iPad Air with an M4 chip, an iPad 12 with an A18 chip, a MacBook Air with the M5 chip, and MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Thursday February 26, 2026 6:06 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple CEO Tim Cook today teased "a big week ahead," with announcements starting Monday. His post included an #AppleLaunch hashtag with a colorful Apple logo, along with a short video that ultimately shows an Apple logo on the lid of a Mac. Apple is reportedly planning a three-day stretch of product announcements from Monday, March 2 through Wednesday, March 4, with up to five new products...
Wednesday February 25, 2026 5:37 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has submitted production line orders for its upcoming foldable iPhone, effectively confirming that the device will launch this year, claims a Chinese leaker. According to the Weibo account "Fixed Focus Digital," assembly lines recently received the orders from Apple, which has apparently allowed the leaker to learn the crease measurements for the device's 7.8-inch inner display....
Thursday February 26, 2026 3:57 pm PST by Juli Clover
Along with the low-cost MacBook, Apple could introduce a refreshed version of the MacBook Air next week. Most of the focus will be on the new machine, but the MacBook Air is expected to get some useful internal updates. M5 Chip The next-generation MacBook Air will adopt the M5 chip, which Apple already introduced in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models that came out last year. Apple's M5...