Apple’s next high-end laptop is expected to bring the biggest external MacBook Pro redesign since 2021, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman saying it could be a “true overhaul.”
Gurman said the redesign is expected to combine an OLED display with a thinner chassis, and he expects the laptop to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027, with the later window now seen as more likely because of a global memory chip shortage.
Current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released since 2021 are 0.61 inches, or 15.5 mm, thick across four chip generations. The next model is expected to be noticeably thinner and lighter, though no specific dimensions have been reported.
The shift from a mini-LED backlight to a hybrid OLED panel would remove a physical layer from the lid, according to the source article, which said the reduction in thickness may be most visible in the upper half of the machine.
The display notch is expected to be replaced by a hole-punch camera, a change first indicated by a roadmap from research firm Omdia and later corroborated by Bloomberg. The cutout is said to be pill-shaped to support a Dynamic Island feature.
The source article said removing the notch would leave the menu bar as a continuous strip interrupted by a smaller island. It also said Apple appears to be preparing software changes, citing a dark, pill-shaped “Search or Ask” interface in Spotlight on macOS 27.
Display bezels may also shrink. Omdia claims Samsung Display will supply 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch panels, slightly larger than the 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch displays used now, which would imply narrower borders if the chassis stays largely unchanged.
Apple is also said to be adding a reinforced hinge to reduce display wobble when the screen is tapped. The source article said it remains unclear whether the lid will tilt farther back than current models.
Several hardware elements are expected to remain unchanged. Bloomberg reported in February that the machine would still look much like the current MacBook Pro, keeping the keyboard, trackpad and conventional clamshell design in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes.
No report cited in the source article has suggested Apple will remove HDMI, MagSafe or the SD card slot, which returned in the 2021 redesign. Gurman has also said the design is expected to extend to an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro due in 2027.
