For years, rumors have pointed to Apple readying a redesigned MacBook Pro to launch between 2026 and 2027. With the latest reports suggesting Apple has pushed its update to late 2026, a recent story by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman hints that Apple might delay the introduction of this redesigned MacBook Pro due to the upcoming M5 model.
While it was previously rumored to arrive around October or November of 2025, Gurman believes Apple might unveil the new laptop in early 2026. He writes: “The company had been planning to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros — code-named J714 and J716 — later this year with M5 chips. But Apple is now internally targeting a launch early next year, meaning that the current MacBook Pro release cycle may last a little longer than usual.”
He doesn’t want to say for sure this is going to happen, as “the timing remains fluid.” However, even if Apple delays the M5 MacBook Pro announcement, this could actually indicate that the company is about to deliver a redesign in the same year.
Apple’s schedule shows anything is possible
If we look back on the MacBook Pro’s recent history, Apple has released new Macs in the same lineup within a few months of each other twice before:
- 2020/2021: In November 2020, Apple released the first M1 MacBook Pro, followed by the all-new M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models in October of 2021.
- 2023: Apple released the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January. Then, in October, it released the M3 MacBook Pro family. No significant design changes were made.
Even if Apple releases the M5 MacBook Pro in early 2026, it doesn’t mean the company won’t release a redesigned model later that year. After all, Apple executives have previously said that the company will release new Macs and chips as soon as they’re ready.
In addition, while the M4 models were marked upgrades over the previous models, the M5 options will likely be more similar to the jumps from M1 to M2 or M2 to M3.
Finally, it’s important to take into account that 2026 marks 20 years since the first MacBook Pro launch. Since Apple celebrated the 15th anniversary in 2021, it’s only natural to assume it doesn’t want to miss the celebration for the 20th anniversary in 2026. Apple also celebrated the 10th birthday in 2016 with the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
What’s so special about the redesigned MacBook Pro?
While many believe the 2021 MacBook Pro redesign was perfect, the company wants to improve the experience in a few areas. Here’s what the rumors have suggested so far:
- Ultra-thin laptop: Apple wants to make its products thinner. It started that trend with the M4 iPad Pro, and later this year, we’ll see the first ultra-thin iPhone. In 2026, we are expecting to see an ultra-thin MacBook Pro as well.
- OLED display: Apple wants to ditch the miniLED on the MacBook in favor of an 8th generation OLED panel. This display will be even more advanced than the one available on the iPad Pro, which is considered one of the best on the market.
- Cellular connectivity: Rumors suggest Apple could add its upcoming C2 cellular modem to the Mac, narrowing the differences between the laptop and the iPad.
- Hole-punch FaceTime camera: A report suggests Apple wants to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro and add a hole-punch lens. This could make the new camera work like a smaller Dynamic Island, making it more cohesive with the current iPhone models.
- More powerful chip: The M6 chip is expected to be the first with a 2nm manufacturing process. Smaller processors also make them more powerful, which continues to be more important as AI applications require more horsepower than ever.
- Celebrate the end of the Intel era: macOS 27, which is the software expected to be shipped with this MacBook, won’t support Intel Macs. That said, Apple might want to mark the occasion as its moves to exclusively using its own silicon.
BGR will let you know once we learn more about Apple’s plans to release this redesigned MacBook Pro, including its potential release date, features, and other details.
