Apple promised a big week of new product introductions and seems ready to deliver. Starting the week off are the iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with a powerful M4 chip. Both systems meet the promises we heard during pre-introduction speculation, but perhaps it is even more impressive that Apple has somehow also managed to offer both new systems at exactly the same basic price as their predecessors. (That’s despite the global spike in memory prices.) The end result, of course, is that as competitor prices increase and Apple stays the same — while simultaneously widening the performance gap between its own and other devices in the class — the company can grab an ever greater chunk of mid-range customers . In the background, Apple’s devices are highly performant, making them suitable hosts for almost any form of AI , on-device or in the cloud. Introducing the iPhone 17e The big improvement in this new model is the processor. The new iPhone 17e uses the same chip as the standard iPhone 17. Apple callas this phone “a compelling option for customers looking to upgrade to the iPhone 17 family,” according to Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing. If there’s a compromise to be had it is in the camera; just like the iPhone 16e, the new model uses a single-lens camera, though this is now improved with 2x telephoto lens. It is also interesting to note that Apple’s new video ad for the device quite openly aims to attract switchers from other platforms. “We know our customers want a product that will last, and iPhone 17e delivers just that,” said Drance. “With A19 for incredible performance, double the entry storage, a smarter camera system, and enhanced durability, iPhone 17e is designed to stay fast, secure, and valuable for years to come.” Given rapidly increasing component costs, along with continued uncertainty in manufacturing and logistics, it is also impressive that Apple kept prices unchanged. You’ll still pay $599 for a standard configuration iPhone 17e or for an 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip. In the current business environment, Apple has clearly decided to swallow a potential hit on margins in exchange for a chance to build market share as the cost of competing devices seems likely to increase. The iPhone 17e at a glance Processor: A19 chip with 6 CPU cores, a 4-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. Face ID support. Storage: From 256GB (twice the entry level storage of iPhone 16e). Modem: Apple-designed C1X modem, up to twice as fast and 30% more energy efficient than 5G modem in iPhone 16e. Display: 6.1-in. Super Retina XDR OLED display, peak 1,200 nits brightness. Camera: 48MP Fusion Camera with 2x Telephoto and 4K. Night mode is supported, as is spatial audio. Colors: Black, white, soft pink. Power: Apple promises all-day battery life and said the device will reach 50% charge in just 30 minutes. You also get MagSafe up to 15 watts. Cost: From $599. Pre-orders begin March 4, with availability a week later. The use of an Apple modem has another advantage: the iPhone 17e supports satellite connectivity features such as Emergency SOS. Finally, Apple says the Ceramic Shield coating makes the iPhone 17e three times more resistant to scratching than the previous generation. Apple The all-new M4-powered iPad Air Apple also rolled out an iPad Air equipped with an M4 processor and (optional) 5G support. Apple claims the new iPad is up to 30% faster than last year’s M3 models, but the improvements don’t stop there. Arguably, the 2025 iPad Air is a significant generational leap over the previous models, certainly in terms of processing power, AI capabilities and connectivity. Apple says, for example, that the Neural Engine is three times faster than in the M1-powered model. You’ll see tremendous speed improvements if upgrading from an M1 iPad Air as Apple promises up to 2.3x faster performance. “iPad Air gives users more ways than ever to be creative and productive, offering powerful performance and incredible versatility to help them turn their ideas into reality,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing. “With its blazing performance thanks to M4, incredible AI capabilities, and game-changing iPadOS 26 features, there’s never been a better time to choose or upgrade to iPad Air.” iPad Air M4 at a glance Processor: M4 chip with 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine. Memory: 12GB of unified memory with 120 GBps bandwidth — 50% more memory than the previous model. N1 chip: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread support. Modem: Cellular models gain the C1X modem, which promises up to 50% faster data and 30% improved energy efficiency over the preceding model. Display: Available in 11-in. and 13-in. configurations. Camera: 12MP camera front and back. Cost: From $599 (11-in.), $799 (13-in.). It’s hard to ignore the central pillars of these upgrade; more speed from the new processor and a big boost in general performance thanks to the inclusion of twice as much memory. What this means is that users will find everything works a lot faster, and it means these iPads, like every Apple device, have more than enough power to handle Apple Intelligence and other forms of AI. In tablet form, at least, I’m not confident anyone else offers a product in the category that matches this. More Apple products are about to see the light of day this week. We anticipate new Macs, including a $599 A18 Pro MacBook and M5 Pro MacBook Pros, updated Apple displays, and more. Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe. Also, now on Mastodon .