This year’s iteration of the MacBook Pro refresh arrived with noticeably less fanfare than what Apple enthusiasts have grown accustomed to in previous unveilings. The company’s marketing approach appeared far more restrained, with Apple delivering quieter, more measured announcements regarding its new M5-powered lineup. At the center of this release was a single 14‑inch MacBook Pro model—an update that, while solid in performance, hardly stirred the same excitement as earlier generations that introduced sweeping design shifts or dramatic technical revolutions. Yet, according to reports and the steady stream of well‑placed leaks that seem to accompany every major Apple product cycle, those holding out for something truly transformative may find it worthwhile to wait another year. The forthcoming major redesign of the MacBook Pro, projected for the M6 generation, could finally deliver the long‑desired features that Apple fans have been hoping to see ever since the transition from Intel processors to the proprietary M‑series chips. Among the most anticipated additions are said to be a vivid OLED display, full touchscreen functionality, and a structural overhaul that at last eliminates the much‑maligned screen notch—a stylistic element that has divided opinions since its introduction.
Industry insider and Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, widely regarded as one of the most reliable sources of Apple‑related leaks, has once again provided a glimpse into the company’s development roadmap. Citing his usual array of confidential informants familiar with internal discussions, Gurman reports that the MacBook Pro equipped with the M6 chip could arrive toward the end of 2026 or, at the latest, in early 2027. Until then, Apple’s current MacBook lineup remains a blend of the old and the new: the M5‑powered 14‑inch MacBook Pro is offered alongside last year’s M4 Pro and M4 Max configurations. This strategy allows Apple to maintain a diverse product range while carefully managing its silicon transition timeline. Based on previous patterns, it is likely that the higher‑end variants of the M5 chip series—such as the M5 Pro and M5 Max—will not debut until sometime in early 2026, potentially accompanied by new models like the M5 MacBook Air.
While the evolution from the M5 to the M6 chip is expected to bring the usual improvements in computational power, efficiency, and thermal performance, what truly sets the M6 generation apart in these early rumors is the potential adoption of an organic light‑emitting diode (OLED) display. OLED technology, already well‑established in the smartphone and television markets, is renowned for its ability to render exceptionally deep black tones and extraordinarily vivid contrast thanks to its self‑emissive pixels—each capable of turning off completely when displaying black. Apple, which already employs OLED panels in its iPhone lineup under the branding “Super Retina XDR,” has more recently ventured into a superior version of the technology known as tandem OLED. This structure—essentially two OLED layers stacked together—enables even greater brightness levels and longer lifespan. It currently appears in the M4 iPad Pro and the newly released M5 iPad Pro, both of which demonstrate Apple’s relentless pursuit of visual perfection across its ecosystem. If similar technology were to migrate to the MacBook Pro line, it could represent one of the most significant advances in the laptop’s display quality since the introduction of the Retina screen more than a decade ago.
However, the possibility that excites long‑time Mac users even more may be the long‑rumored inclusion of a touchscreen—a feature Apple has steadfastly avoided bringing to its laptops, despite widespread adoption elsewhere in the computer industry. Gurman’s report implies that the future MacBook Pro would not take the form of a convertible 2‑in‑1 device that pivots or detaches into a tablet. Instead, it would likely retain the traditional clamshell design but with a fully touch‑sensitive screen complementing the existing trackpad and keyboard. Historically, Apple’s leadership—most notably CEO Tim Cook—has been resistant to merging touchscreen functionality with macOS, famously likening such combinations to “converging a toaster and a refrigerator,” a colorful metaphor underscoring the company’s belief that touch interfaces belonged exclusively to iPads. Yet the gradual evolution of iPadOS into a more desktop‑like experience, particularly with the introduction of floating windows and expanded multitasking in iPadOS 26, complicates that long‑held distinction. The lines between a powerful tablet and a lightweight laptop are blurring rapidly, suggesting that a touchscreen MacBook may no longer appear as conceptually misguided as it once did. One could almost imagine Cook’s reaction when confronted with the recent influx of touchscreen‑equipped home appliances—like the smart toaster reviewed by journalist James Pero—which make his earlier analogy sound ironically prescient.
In addition to internal performance boosts and visual enhancements, the next‑generation MacBook Pro may benefit from thoughtful design refinements that address ongoing user criticisms. Chief among these is the decried display notch surrounding the webcam, which interrupts the otherwise sleek symmetry of Apple’s screens. The rumored redesign could finally introduce a near edge‑to‑edge display, replacing the notch with a more elegant solution inspired by the iPhone’s Dynamic Island—a subtle, adaptable interface element that expands and contracts based on contextual information such as incoming notifications, timers, or ride‑share updates. If implemented effectively, this feature could merge functionality with aesthetics, allowing the MacBook to deliver both immersive visuals and concise, app‑specific data cues in an unobtrusive way.
Gurman’s leaks further suggest that both the 14‑inch and 16‑inch versions of the MacBook Pro will receive these extensive upgrades, reflecting Apple’s intention to maintain parity across its professional lineup. Naturally, adopting OLED technology would increase manufacturing costs, which implies that Apple could adjust pricing upward to absorb the higher component expense. For reference, today’s base 14‑inch M5 MacBook Pro, equipped with 16 GB of unified memory and a 512 GB solid‑state drive, starts at approximately $1,600. That model, like the rest of the current MacBook Pro family, employs a mini‑LED panel branded as Liquid Retina XDR—a technology that delivers superb brightness and HDR performance but still cannot replicate the pixel‑level precision of OLED.
In recent years, Apple’s MacBook refresh cycles have reliably delivered incremental performance and efficiency improvements without significantly altering the external chassis design. As a result, many users already in possession of M‑series laptops may find little incentive to upgrade with each cycle. The forthcoming years could change that pattern dramatically if the rumored OLED display, touchscreen support, and design refinement come to fruition. Until then, Apple appears to be carefully pacing its chip releases, possibly reserving the M5 Pro and M5 Max variants for mid‑cycle devices and preparing the next MacBook Air refresh as an intermediate step. For those hoping that Apple revisits past experiments like the discontinued Touch Bar, however, perhaps it is best that particular chapter remains closed—a reminder that innovation sometimes requires knowing which ideas not to resurrect.
Sourse: https://gizmodo.com/screw-m5-the-m6-macbook-could-finally-get-an-oled-touchscreen-2000673292
