Apple’s 'big week' launches a pair of $599 devices aimed at budget buyers

NEW YORK (AP) — Apple CEO Tim Cook promised a "big week" of product announcements has seen the introduction of a new budget-friendly iPhone trim, an entry-level MacBook tier, updated iPad Air models, refreshed monitors and higher-end chipsets. All of which was on display at hands-on media events held Wednesday in New York, London and Shanghai.

The tech titan recently saw its quarterly earnings rise to a new record, thanks to strong sales of its iPhone 17 models, even though the company still hasn’t delivered on its 2024 promise to smarten up its Siri assistance with AI.

Perhaps looking to capitalize on this sales momentum, Apple started the week off announcing the latest model in its more budget-friendly phone lineup, the iPhone 17e, and the MacBook Neo, an entry-level laptop that represents the company's most aggressive attempt at moving into the affordable laptop market.

Everything announced will be available for preorder starting Wednesday. So if you need more information before you start shopping, here's the skinny:

This updated version of iPhone targeting budget-conscious shoppers will include the same A19 chip as the one powering the base iPhone 17 and offers double the standard storage space (256GB) as the previous 16e model (128GB).

The camera has been updated to a 48 megapixel system and its C1X modem promises faster cellular speeds.

As for display, the 17e clocks in with a slightly smaller screen compared with the base 17 model, has a slightly lower refresh rate and may be a little dimmer to the human eye, but you're still getting the super retina display used in the rest of the lineup and Apple's Ceramic Shield 2 system to guard against scratches.

Apple also put included MagSafe with Qi2 support for those looking for a more convenient wireless charging experience.

Starting at $599, the iPhone 17e comes in $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17. Colors include black, white and light pink.

The midrange iPad refresh runs the slightly older M4 chip — for reference, the top-end iPad Pro model uses the newer M5 chip. But it's still powerful enough to handle your streaming habits, web browsing, email and video editing. Cellular versions of the Air also include the updated C1X modem for faster connections.

You wouldn't think there's a RAM shortage in the world with what Apple has announced this week. The company bumped the Air's RAM up from 8GB to 12GB without a price increase.

The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 while the 13-inch version starts at $799, each with 128GB of storage.

Apple’s high-end Pro lineup of laptops received newly announced chip upgrades (the M5 Pro and M5 Max), which claim higher performance for intensive usage and battery efficiency. But the new upgrades come with a higher price tag too.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip set comes with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It's priced at $2,199, a $200 increase compared with 2024 base M4 Pro. For an extra cost, you have the option to upgrade to a higher tier of the M5 Pro or jump to the M5 Max chip. You can also bump the system's RAM up to 48GB.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro already comes standard with the highest tier M5 Pro chip set, and starts with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It's priced at $2,699, a $200 increase from previous model. You do have the option to upgrade to the M5 Max chip set and bump up the RAM.

For both models, the display hasn't changed, nor has the front-facing camera. But Apple has upgraded their networking capabilities to support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

The brand new entry-level MacBook Neo made its debut at the in-person event on Wednesday. This new a 13-inch laptop comes packed with Apple's A18 Pro chip (also found in the iPhone 16 Pro), 256GB of storage, two USB-C ports but only 8GB of RAM. The upgraded the 512GB model includes a TouchID sensor.

With the Neo, it's apparent Apple is trying to gain a foothold in the budget laptop field, which is currently flooded with Google Chromebooks and economy Microsoft Windows machines.

The 256GB model is available for $599, while the upgraded model is available for $699. Students and other educators can preorder either model with a $100 discount.

A refreshed MacBook Air was also announced. This more budget friendly machine has been upgraded to the company's base M5 chip. Base storage has also been doubled from 256GB to a 512GB. It still 16GB RAM but now sports the same connectivity upgrades as the Pro models.

Because of the updates, the price of the 13-inch Air is priced at $1,099, $100 more than the M4 Air model. The 15-inch Air starts at $1,299.

Apple's deep cut for the week is the announcement of its two 5K display monitors, the 27-inch Studio Display and Studio Display XDR.

Both 27-inch monitors have 5,120 x 2,880 resolutions, embedded 12MP Center Stage cameras, six-speaker audio systems, two Thunderbolt 5 ports and two USB-C ports.

The new, and more expensive, XDR model goes a bit further with mini-LED backlighting, better contrasting and dimming zones, and an improved 120Hz refresh rate (the standard edition is capped at 60Hz) — an update Apple gamers and HDR lovers should be pleased by.

The base Studio display is priced at $1,599, while its XDR variant comes in at a whopping $3,299. Upgrade options are available for both monitors.

Members of the media try out the new iPad Air during an Apple unveil event, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in New York (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) ,

Members of the media view MacBook Neo laptop computers on display during an Apple unveil event, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in New York (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) ,

The new iPhone 17e sits on display during an Apple unveil event, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) ,

Members of the media view MacBook Neo laptop computers on display during an Apple unveil event, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in New York (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) ,

A MacBook Neo sits on display during an Apple unveil event, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in New York (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) ,

FILE - Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks on stage during an announcement of new products at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

FILE - The logo of Apple is illuminated at a store in the city center in Munich, Germany, on Dec. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he soon will endorse a Republican candidate in the Texas Senate race, warning that the divisive contest “cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer.”

But Trump, a former reality television host, continued to stoke suspense over his decision by not immediately naming his choice, even as Republicans on Capitol Hill pushed him to support four-term Sen. John Cornyn over conservative firebrand Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general.

“IT MUST STOP NOW!” Trump wrote on social media after Cornyn and Paxton advanced on Tuesday to a May 26 runoff for the nomination. “I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE! Is that fair? We must win in November!!!”

Republicans are deeply concerned that the 83-day sprint to the Texas runoff election will be expensive and divisive as the party fights to maintain control of Congress in competitive states across the nation.

Texas, a state Trump carried by 14 percentage points, was not supposed to be among this year's political battlegrounds. But operatives in both parties believe Democrats have a real chance to claim a Senate seat here for the first time in nearly four decades.

Democrats nominated state Rep. James Talarico, a 36-year-old Christian progressive who Republicans privately believed to be a stronger general election candidate than his primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

There was already pressure on Trump to endorse Cornyn before the president's social media post Wednesday afternoon.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that Cornyn was "the best bet to win the general election.” Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Mike Rounds of South Dakota said they have been sending similar messages to Trump.

The drumbeat has grown loud enough that Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Trump ally from Texas, said the expectation is the president will endorse Cornyn.

“It’s going to be probably more difficult for Paxton to beat Talarico than Cornyn,” said Jackson, who has not made an endorsement. Because Cornyn has been "dumping tons of money in the race,” Jackson said it makes sense to avoid spending even more “picking each other apart for weeks and then going into the general election as the nominee wounded.”

Cornyn and his allies spent nearly $70 million to survive the first round of the primary. He was slightly ahead of Paxton with more votes still being counted Wednesday.

Some right-wing allies of the president warned him against backing Cornyn, whom they view as insufficiently loyal to Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement.

“Endorsing Cornyn will be more gutting to the base than the Iran air strikes,” wrote conservative influencer Mike Cernovich on social media.

It is unclear whether any level of attack can deter Paxton, who has long been shadowed by allegations of corruption and infidelity. He has fashioned himself as the kind of diehard supporter that Trump needs in Washington.

Paxton was defiant when speaking to a few hundred supporters at a Dallas hotel ballroom on Tuesday night, a far different scene from Cornyn's small news conference.

“We just sent a message, loud and clear, to Washington,” he said. “We are not going to go quietly, and we are not going to let you buy the seat.”

Cornyn's campaign argued that a runoff would not have been necessary without the “vanity campaign” by Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished a distant third. It is not known how Hunt's voters would line up in the runoff.

The pro-Paxton Lone Star political action committee, in a memo, described Cornyn as a “Washington relic."

“The D.C. establishment has done its job: it rallied around its wounded incumbent, opened the fundraising spigot, and flooded the airwaves. But the results, the data, and the reality on the ground all point to the same conclusion: John Cornyn has no viable path to the Republican nomination,” the memo said. “Cornyn should suspend his campaign, concede the nomination to Ken Paxton, and refuse to allow another $100+ million in Republican resources to be burned in a race that is already decided.”

While Trump's endorsement looms, Cornyn made it clear that he would make the case himself. He told reporters that Paxton would be “a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans" in November.

“I’ve worked for decades to build the Republican Party, both here in Texas and nationally,” Cornyn said. “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years.”

Cornyn will face intense fundraising pressure, having already spent so much money in the first round of the primary. Aides said he had some small fundraisers planned but nothing in the days immediately after the election as he returns to Washington.

Peoples reported from New York and Mascaro from Washington. Follow the AP's coverage of the 2026 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/elections.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

FILE - This photo combination shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, in Dallas and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in Austin, Texas, both on March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, Jack Myer)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the media Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Jack Myer)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the media Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Jack Myer)