Apple has updated the MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, and anticipations are already high for an M5 version slated for late 2025. However, the upcoming model due in late 2026 seems particularly intriguing and might represent the most significant upgrade in Mac history. Here’s a glimpse of what lies ahead.
Complete redesign: slimmer and lighter
The last notable redesign of the MacBook Pro occurred in 2021, bringing back essential ports, resolving long-standing keyboard criticisms, and generally serving as Apple’s way of making amends for its earlier misjudgments.
Recent reports indicate that a major revamp is on the horizon for the MacBook Pro in 2026. This ‘complete redesign’ promises to reduce the weight and thickness of the device.
Such terminology may raise concerns among users who experienced the butterfly keyboard’s challenges. Nonetheless, with Apple Silicon, the company has demonstrated its proficiency at creating lighter and slimmer devices without sacrificing performance.
I’m eager to learn what port options will be available on the upcoming MacBook Pro. My hope is that Apple can achieve a more compact design without letting go of the ports that were newly reintroduced.
OLED display without a notch
Another crucial aspect of the MacBook Pro update will be its display, which is anticipated to replace the notch with a smaller ‘hole cut’ as it transitions to OLED technology.
The new display will likely utilize OLED technology similar to that found in the M4 iPad Pro. Will this mean the introduction of Dynamic Island on the Mac? We’ll have to wait and see, but if the iPad Pro’s OLED display is any indication, its arrival on the Mac would be highly welcomed.
M6 chip lineup
While the M4 chip has only been around for less than a year and was just recently introduced to the Mac, information on the M6 series remains scarce.
Nevertheless, Apple is likely to roll out an M5 MacBook Pro in 2025, featuring the current design, meaning that the significant upgrade in 2026 should come with configurations for M6, M6 Pro, and M6 Max.
5G cellular connectivity
This year will see the release of Apple’s first in-house 5G modems in select devices, with an upgraded version expected to launch in 2026, likely including the MacBook Pro.
I’ve long supported the concept of integrating cellular connectivity into the Mac, and I believe that Apple’s proprietary modems represent the best opportunity for this to materialize. Reports from Mark Gurman indicate that Apple seems to be on the same wavelength.
Wildcard: Touch support
Touch functionality on the Mac has been speculated ever since the launch of the iPad, yet it has yet to be realized, and it may remain uncertain.
However, there seems to be substantial evidence that the MacBook Pro in 2026 could introduce touch capabilities.
Earlier in 2023, Mark Gurman mentioned the development of a touchscreen MacBook Pro, with a projected launch in 2025. Within the same report, he stated:
As part of the MacBook Pro overhaul, Apple is planning to adopt organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology.
This suggests that the touch feature and OLED technology were, at one point, envisioned to be integrated into a new MacBook Pro.
The original 2025 target has since been shifted to 2026 for the OLED rollout in the MacBook Pro, indicating that Apple’s intentions regarding a touch-enabled OLED display remain unchanged—just delayed.
Mark Gurman recently reiterated that Apple’s immediate vision for the Mac includes ‘faster processors, slimmer designs, and touch screens.’
While my interpretation might be overly optimistic, it appears that the significant redesign of the MacBook Pro in 2026 may finally introduce touch functionality.
Summary of the MacBook Pro 2026 Upgrade
With over 20 months still to go until Apple is anticipated to unveil its major MacBook Pro redesign, many of the details provided may evolve.
Nonetheless, if Apple succeeds in incorporating all these features into a powerful and revamped MacBook Pro, it will surely stand as the most remarkable upgrade the device has ever seen—and potentially the best Mac upgrade to date.
Are you anticipating these modifications for the MacBook Pro in 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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