Apple has advised its retail store employees to expect a major rush of customers this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The company teased a big week ahead with announcements starting Monday, and Gurman reports that preparations are on par with new iPhone launches. This suggests at least one device set to be unveiled will have major mainstream appeal.

Retail employees are being told to prepare for crowds similar to those seen during fall iPhone launches, indicating Apple expects significant consumer interest. The most anticipated product is reportedly a lower-cost MacBook described internally as an incredible value. Apple believes this more affordable laptop will help drive switchers from Windows machines and Chromebooks. While no concrete pricing has been announced, estimates range from $599 to $799 in the United States.

Beyond the budget MacBook, Apple's announcements are expected to focus primarily on upgraded chips with minimal other changes. Rumored products include an iPhone 17e with A19 chip, iPad Air with M4 chip, and MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The lower-cost MacBook is expected to use the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, feature a 12.9-inch display, 8GB of RAM, and come in fun color options like yellow, green, blue, and pink.