Debuted in 2006, the MacBook Pro will mark its 20th anniversary in 2026. And here’s the exciting part—Apple is prepping a major design overhaul for the lineup. We’ve summed up all the new features, upgrades, and surprises coming to the 2026 MacBook Pro.
OLED Display Technology
After its debut in the 2024 M4 iPad Pro, Apple is reportedly preparing to bring OLED technology to the MacBook Pro for the first time. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will launch its first-ever OLED MacBook in 2026. Analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Ross Young have already corroborated these claims.
Compared to current mini-LED models, the OLED MacBook Pro will provide improved brightness, better contrast ratio, nicer colors, and smoother motion performance.
Plus, according to TheElec, Apple will use the same Tandem OLED display technology as the 2024 iPad Pro. With its advanced two-stack Tandem OLED displays, the 2026 MacBook Pro would also offer better power efficiency and longer battery life.
No Notch
If you’re tired of the notch interrupting your Mac’s display, here’s fantastic news for you. Apple is speculated to ditch the notch and opt for a smaller punch-hole camera on 14-inch & 16-inch MacBook Pro models in 2026. The research firm Omdia describes this as a “rounded corner with a hole cut”. The removal of the notch would offer more screen space and a more uninterrupted display experience.
The report doesn’t specify whether it will be a single punch-hole camera or something like the Dynamic Island on the iPhone. No matter which road Apple will take, the redesign will finally remove that chunky cutout.
Thinner & Lighter Design
Interestingly, the switch to OLED technology would also allow for a thinner design, and that’s what Apple has planned. According to Mark Gurman, Apple will adopt a new thinner design with the 2026 MacBook Pro. While the details remain sparse, Apple initially planned for a redesign in 2025 but there were some setbacks related to the display technology. As a result, the plans were pushed to 2026.
At the moment, it’s unclear if the overall chassis will change. Given Apple’s track record, the company might aim for subtle refinements to enhance the overall aesthetics and portability.
Apple M6 Processor
The biggest thing we’d like to see on the 2026 MacBook Pro is an upgraded Apple M6 processor. Based on several leaks, the M6 chipset lineup is set to be the first generation of Apple Silicon manufactured on TSMC’s 2nm process, alongside the A20 chip for the iPhone.
The M5 MacBook Pro models arriving later this year will be manufactured with TSMC’s 3nm process, known as 3NP. This would result in typical year-over-year performance and power efficiency gains over the current M4 models. However, the switch to a 2nm process with M6 would mark a significant leap in performance.
A leak from last year suggested that Apple will transition from InFO (Integrated Fan-Out) packaging to WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging with the A20 chip in the iPhone 18 models. The WMCM packaging can integrate multiple chips within a package, which allows the development of more complex chipsets.
While it’s unclear, Apple might develop M6 processors while taking advantage of this WMCM packaging to introduce even more capable versions of its custom processors.
As per usual, we should see the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in M6, M6 Pro, and M6 Max configurations.
5G Modem
With the iPhone 16e, Apple introduced its own C1 modem which was in the works for quite a few years. The same 5G modem is also expected to arrive on iPhone 17 Air. This could be Apple’s way of testing the modem before introducing it to flagship devices.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring the idea to bring cellular connectivity to its Mac lineup for the first time. The giant is reportedly investigating the possibility of adding a second-generation 5G modem chip to Macs as soon as 2026. The first-generation Apple modem chip is limited to sub-6Hz 5G speeds, but the second-generation version will support faster mmWave technology.
Having a built-in 5G modem would eliminate the need to use your smartphone for a data connection when Wi-Fi is unavailable. Also, the Mac would act as its own hotspot, providing connections to nearby devices. Since the current C1 modem already includes GPS and satellite connectivity, we might see these features on future Macs too.
Pricing & Release Date
The current entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip starts at $1,599, and Apple is likely to maintain the same price for its upcoming M5 models. While there’s no concrete information available, there are slim chances that M6 models might arrive with a higher price tag. This speculation stems mainly from the adoption of OLED technology and a thinner design.
Coming to the release date, Apple typically unveils its MacBook Pro models in October. If the giant sticks to its usual timeline, the M6 MacBook Pro models will arrive in October 2026.
Of course, there can be some exceptions like the M2 models. We’ll keep you updated as new leaks pile up.