March 2026 saw a spate of new Apple product releases, in the largest Apple event since September. While that month saw an overhaul of the iPhone line, this event turned the spotlight to Apple’s other device formats, from MacBooks to monitors, with one notable exception in the new iPhone 17e. The iPad line received a refresh, too, with a new 5G-enabled iPad Air M4.
Here, we cover every new product unveiled by Apple this week, and what they could mean for the future of consumer electronics and telecommunications.
New Apple products released in March 2026
1. The M4 iPad Air
The iPad Air also received an update this week – the new iPad Air line is now bolstered with an M4 chip, replacing the M3. While the new generation of Air is cosmetically identical to its predecessor – both the 11- and 13-inch models feature the same colors, materials, and dimensions as the 2026 edition – the new chip promises to transform the tablet's performance and power, particularly when processing computing-heavy tasks like real-time mobile data use, HD video streaming, AAA gaming, and video editing. This upheaval is in part due to Apple predicting a rising demand for data-intensive AI tasks. Connectivity in the M4 Air has been improved across the board, with Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.
| Comparing the M3 and M4 iPad Air | ||
|---|---|---|
Model | iPad Air M3 (2025) | iPad Air M4 (2026) |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 6 |
Unified memory | 8GB | 12GB |
Memory bandwidth | 100GB/second | 120GB/second |
Some terms explained
Memory bandwidth is the rate at which a device can read and store memory: a faster memory bandwidth allows the device to process more complex tasks in real time.
Unified memory, in this context, is the volume of RAM (Random-access memory) available to the iPad. A larger unified memory allows the device to simultaneously process more tasks, run more apps, and handle more complex tasks at once. Apple claims that the new chip makes the M4 iPad Air 4 times faster at 3D rendering than an M1 iPad, and 2.3 times faster overall.
This accommodation of AI technology is mirrored by Apple’s current operating systems, iPadOS 26. The OS leverages the faster processing and smooth resolution of new iPad models, including the M4 Air, to deliver a laptop-like experience.
The boosted RAM of the M4 Air complements the new OS’s window management system, which allows iPad users to keep several windows open simultaneously, like a Mac OS. After a faltering start, Apple’s proprietary AI assistant, Apple Intelligence, remains a feature of iPad OS 26 – the improved performance of the M4 Air can help to process particularly draining AI tasks.
Like the M3 iPad Air, the M4 features built-in 5G connectivity – cellular models will be able to purchase an iPad eSIM plan and connect to high-speed 5G data, enabling highly complex, real-time tasks to be completed on the go. This responds to the growing demand for eSIM connectivity in non-smartphone devices, from watches to health trackers.
iPads and eSIMs
To access the new iPad’s 5G cellular capabilities, users will need to download an iPad eSIM. First introduced to tablets in the 3rd generation iPad Pro, an iPad eSIM allows users to access mobile data with their iPad and get online anywhere, just like a smartphone or cellular Apple Watch. The iPad eSIM replaced the proprietary Apple SIM of previous generations, which had to be physically inserted and removed by the user. Since then, Apple has pivoted fully towards the eSIM – from 2024, new iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad Pro models have featured eSIM-only connectivity.
An iPad eSIM is only available from a select group of Apple-approved carriers, including BetterRoaming. Users can download a plan anytime from the Settings app of their iPad – find out about using an iPad eSIM plan here.
2. The iPhone 17e
While most of the new announcements this week concerned new MacBook models (more on that later), the bulk of Apple’s sales still come from their phones: in 2025, iPhones comprised 4 of the 5 best-selling new smartphone models worldwide, making up around 18% of total global smartphone shipments. Rumours of a new iPhone model solidified in the weeks leading up to the launch, and the iPhone 17e reveal did not disappoint.
In the 17e, Apple has provided (by its standards) a reasonably-priced, mid-tier consumer smartphone that retains enough features of the higher-grade iPhones to deliver a similar user experience. While the $599 price tag and raft of high-performance features prevent it from being “entry-level”, the 17e will still retail for $200 less than a regular iPhone 17.
Most notably, the 17e is available worldwide with eSIM connectivity, similar to the iPhone Air and 17 models. Just as with the iPad Air, iPhone eSIMs allow users to download and store SIM profiles online, rather than being inserted via a physical SIM card. Crucially, they allow users to store multiple SIM profiles simultaneously, switching between them as needed (for example, when traveling abroad or juggling personal and work numbers on the same device). While the 17e’s predecessor, the 16e, only offered eSIM connectivity in certain markets, every 17e worldwide will support eSIM.
3. Three new MacBooks
This week saw one of the most significant shakeups to the MacBook line in years, unveiling three new models, including the all-new MacBook Neo.
MacBook Pro (2026)
MacBook Pro: Analogous to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, these two models are the top-of-the-line flagships of Apple’s portable computer line – both share nearly identical technical specifications, with the key difference being size: the Pro Max boasts a 16-inch screen, compared to the 14-inch Pro. Both new versions received a major update in the form of M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Pro Max processors, replacing the previous generation’s M4 chips. The M5 chip is only available on the MacBook Pro, while the more powerful M5 Pro and M5 Pro Max chips are available on both laptop models. The other major update concerns internal storage – the base-level capacity of every new model is twice that of the previous generation, with 512GB for the M5 MacBook Pro, 1TB for the M5 Pro, and 2TB for the M5 Pro Max.
M5 MacBook Air
The slimline MacBook model also received the M5 treatment, resulting in the fastest MacBook Air yet. While M5 Pro and M5 Pro Max chips are still reserved for the MacBook Pro line, the M5 MacBook Air still offers vastly increased performance over its predecessor. The new model is available with either a 13-inch or 15-inch screen.
MacBook Neo
The biggest surprise of the week was the unveiling of the all-new MacBook Neo, an entry-level MacBook akin to the iPhone e series or Apple Watch SE lines. At $599, the Neo is nearly half the price of the MacBook Air, and well under the $1699 starting price of the Pro line. From a design point of view, the Neo largely resembles its siblings, with a 13-inch screen, twin USB ports, and aluminium casing. Unlike other MacBooks, the Neo is available in a spectrum of cheery colours, pleasantly recalling the iconic early-00s iBooks. Under the hood, the Neo uses an A18 chip (similar to the ones used in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max), offers up to 16 hours of battery life, and runs the same MacOS as all other MacBooks.
Apple and the eSIM
In recent years, Apple has been an enthusiastic proponent of eSIM technology. The Apple Watch Series 3 was the first commercially-available consumer mobile product to feature the technology, while the US-only iPhone 14, released in 2022, was one of the first major eSIM-only smartphones. Not only do eSIMs offer an easier, more secure customer experience, but their reduced form factor also allows hardware manufacturers like Apple to repurpose internal space in their devices to batteries, cameras, and processors.
Despite the multiple advantages eSIMs offer over SIM cards, adoption rates have been gradual. In recent years, the mobile industry body identified the device compatibility of eSIMs as a key factor in their global adoption rate – until very recently, eSIM connectivity was generally only a feature of flagship smartphone models. The iPhone 17e marks a definitive change. For the first time, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer has released a mid-tier eSIM-only device, reflecting growing public awareness and demand. Tellingly, the eSIM 17e is available worldwide, illustrating the global spread of eSIM demand (while the 16e also featured eSIM connectivity, Chinese models were SIM-card-only). As the GSMA’s recent state-of-the-market report points out, “eSIM has become standard across mid‑range devices, wearables and an expanding array of connected products.”
The release of the iPhone 17e may prove to be a significant milestone in eSIM adoption: Apple’s first eSIM-only device launch (the US market iPhone 14) in 2022 has since been recognized by industry analysts as a tipping point in public eSIM awareness. The 17e has the potential to do the same for the entry-level and mid-tier phone market.
BetterRoaming iPad eSIMs
As an official Apple partner, BetterRoaming provides eSIMs for iPhones, Apple Watches, and iPads.
Learn more about using an eSIM with an iPad here and try out 100MB of iPad mobile data for free.
