Apple's big March launches live — all the latest news from iPhone 17e to M4 iPad Air

2 weeks ago 16

Tim Cook promised us a "big week ahead" for Apple launches, and he wasn't joking — it's only Monday and we've already got a new iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air.

The announcements have come in the run-up to a confirmed March 4 experience, which the media (including TechRadar, of course) have been invited to on Wednesday.

The latest news

Apple has announced the new mid-range iPhone 17e
The new M4 iPad Air has also just been revealed
More launches are expected over the next few days

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2026-03-02T14:52:28.196Z

What's new in the M4 iPad Air?

The M4 iPad Air on a green and blue background

The obvious answer to that question is, of course, the new M4 chip. According to Apple, that makes the new tablet “up to 30 percent faster than iPad Air with M3".

But there are a few other additions besides the new chip. Connectivity is the main story, with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread and Apple's N1 wireless networking chip all packed into the mid-range tablet.

If you go for the cellular version of the tablet, you'll also get Apple's C1X modem — this apparently offers 50% faster cellular performance with 30% less energy use than on the M3 iPad Air.

Otherwise, this is a fairly basic update to the M3 versions, which we called "even better value than their predecessors" this time last year. That could well be the conclusion we reach here too as the M4 iPad Air's price hasn't changed, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch version (Wi-Fi) or $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch model (Wi-Fi).

Read the full story: Apple just announced a new iPad Air with M4 — here's what's changed

2026-03-02T14:39:56.981Z

The iPhone 17e is here

Four iPhone 17es on a blue and green background

The iPhone 17e has landed — and as expected, it's a relatively minor upgrade with the same price tag as the iPhone 16e.

The main boost is its new A19 chip, which is the same as the one you'll find in the iPhone 17 (though the iPhone 17 Pro naturally has the more powerful A19 Pro). Apple's also upgraded the phone's wireless charging, adding its own MagSafe standard — which is a step up from the iPhone 16's Qi charging (which was limited to up to 7.5W).

The iPhone 17e's main design is unchanged, and fortunately so is the price tag — it starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 256GB of storage, with pre-orders starting on March 4 (or March 5 in Australia).

Perhaps the only surprise is that the iPhone 17e still doesn't have a Dynamic Island, which it was rumored to get...