Apple’s Next MacBook Revolution: M6, OLED and Touchscreen MacBooks Rumoured for 2026–2027
Apple's laptop lineup is reportedly heading into one of its busiest and most complicated update cycles in years. Rather than a single "next MacBook Pro," the rumour mill now points to at least two very different machines arriving on separate timelines — a modest, speed-focused refresh for the entry-level model, and a far more dramatic high-end redesign that could finally bring touch and OLED to the Mac.
Entry-Level 14-inch MacBook Pro: M6 Chip, Familiar Design
The first machine expected to land is an updated entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, widely rumoured to arrive sometime between October and November 2026. According to multiple reports, Apple finished development of this model months ago and is simply waiting for the right launch window, with some reports tying it to the rollout of macOS 27.1 at the end of October.
Design-wise, don't expect much to change. The chassis is expected to carry over the same look Apple introduced back in 2021 with the M1 Pro and M1 Max 14-inch models, complete with the same mini-LED display, port layout, and notch. In other words, this won't be a redesign — it'll be a speed bump wrapped in a familiar shell.
That speed bump, however, could be meaningful. The M6 chip is rumoured to be built on TSMC's first-generation 2-nanometer (N2) process, making it Apple's first Mac chip on that node. A smaller die generally means better performance per watt, less heat, and improved battery efficiency compared to the current M5. Some reports also point to a notable jump in memory bandwidth, potentially rising from around 153GB/s on the M5 to roughly 200GB/s on the M6 — a change that would particularly benefit on-device AI workloads.
One interesting wrinkle: Apple is reportedly skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max variants entirely, choosing to hold higher-performance chip options back for the M7 generation instead. That would make this base M6 MacBook Pro a fairly short-lived, self-contained update — and possibly one worth skipping if you already own a recent M4 or M5 machine, since a redesigned M7 model is already rumoured for as early as the first half of 2027.
High-End OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro: A Bigger Leap, Pushed to Early 2027
The more ambitious machine — often referred to in early reporting as an "OLED MacBook Pro" or touchscreen MacBook Pro rather than a separate "Ultra" branding — was originally expected in late 2026 but now looks more likely to slip into early 2027. Ongoing global DRAM and NAND shortages, which have already pushed Apple to raise Mac and iPad prices in 2026, are reportedly affecting the supply chain for this redesigned model.
This would be Apple's first Mac with a genuine touch display, and its first with an OLED panel. Both the 14-inch and 16-inch versions are said to use tandem OLED technology — the same dual-layer approach Apple debuted on the M4 iPad Pro — which allows for higher brightness and better power efficiency than a single-layer OLED panel. Touch input is expected to rely on on-cell touch technology, integrating sensors directly into the display stack so the panel can stay thin while still supporting multi-touch gestures.
On the outside, the redesign is expected to bring a noticeably thinner and lighter build than the current MacBook Pro, along with the removal of the display notch — one of the more visible remaining holdovers from the M1 era design. It likely won't get quite as thin as the MacBook Air, since it still needs to house more powerful internals and better cooling.
As for processing power, this high-end model is currently expected to launch with the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than next-generation silicon, essentially pairing Apple's current top-tier performance with an all-new display and design. A second-generation OLED MacBook Pro, expected roughly a year later in late 2027 or early 2028, is rumoured to finally pair the new design with AI-focused M7 Pro and M7 Max chips.
Sources:
AppleInsider
MacRumors
Macworld
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