It’s long been rumored that Apple will be redesigning the MacBook Pro as soon as this fall. This’ll mark the first redesign in around five years. While there is a lot rumored for this redesign, I’ll be highlighting the upgrades that feel the most exciting.
Thinner design
A lot of people aren’t exactly hyped about the fact that the MacBook Pro will supposedly be getting thinner, especially after Jony Ive’s disaster that was known as the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro.
That said, I’m still optimistic about it. For the most part, the current MacBook Pro chassis is overbuilt for the M4 and M4 Pro chips that most consumers are buying. M4 Max takes more advantage of it, but I do think ultimately a lot of people end up swinging for the baseline chipsets anyways.
I don’t think they should be substantially thinner, though. Ultimately, the MacBook Air exists for that crowd. I do think most people would agree that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is rather bulky.
With recent innovations in thermal solutions, it’s definitely plausible that the MacBook Pro could get a little bit slimmer without hurting performance.
I know I would like the 16-inch MacBook Pro a bit more if it weren’t as much of a burden to carry around in a backpack.
OLED display
This has definitely been the headlining rumor for the next MacBook Pro: the inclusion of an OLED display.
Apple introduced Tandem OLED on the iPad Pro back in 2024, and that same display technology should be making its way to the MacBook Pro with the upcoming redesign. You can expect deeper blacks and punchier colors than the current miniLED panels.
Recent reports suggest that production of these Tandem OLED panels should begin in Q2, so it seems more likely than not that we’ll see the redesigned MacBook Pro before the end of the year.
Touch capability
Apple first launched the MacBook Pro in 2006, and after a two-decade run, the company might finally fold on something its been holding back on for years: a touchscreen.
Touchscreens have been popping up on Windows laptops for a long time now, and obviously Apple has experience with touchscreens across both the iPad and iPhone. Yet, the company has never wanted to add a touch screen to the Mac. Closest thing we got was the now-defunct Touch Bar on the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro (and up to 2022 if you count the odd M1 and M2 13-inch models.)
Either way, many reputable sources have stated that touchscreens are coming to the Mac. It isn’t exactly clear how the implementation will play out, but it seems almost certain that we’ll be seeing our first touchscreen MacBook Pro as soon as this fall.
Wrap up
While this doesn’t cover every redesign rumor for the MacBook Pro, these are my personal top three features.
Other rumors for the MacBook Pro redesign include some form of smaller notch or holepunch cutout, as well as the possibility for Dynamic Island on the Mac. The next MacBook Pro might also support cellular, thanks to Apple’s recent developments with in-house modems.
And of course, there’ll always be new silicon, with M6 Pro and M6 Max set to debut with these new models. Those are likely to be the first generation chips to use the new 2nm process.
We should be seeing this MacBook Pro redesign launch around October of this year, though some rumors suggest that it might slip into early 2027. Only time will tell.
Are you excited for the MacBook Pro overhaul? Let us know in the comments.
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