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MacBook Pro to Receive 'Major Upgrade' by Early Next Year

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Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said the MacBook Pro will receive a "major upgrade" with an OLED display by early next year.

Apple-MacBook-Pro-M4-hero.jpg

In a blog post, Kuo said the new MacBook Pro will be released between late 2026 and early 2027.

With an OLED display, the MacBook Pro would have better image quality compared to the current models with LCD displays and mini-LED backlighting. Advantages of OLED displays include more vivid colors, higher contrast ratio, and wider viewing angles, and they can be more power efficient depending on the content being displayed.

The next-generation MacBook Pro is expected to feature many other upgrades, including a thinner design, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and M6 Pro and M6 Max chips manufactured with TSMC's 2nm process. It has been rumored that Apple might even expand its C1X or C2 modem to the MacBook Pro for built-in cellular connectivity.

With all of these new features, higher prices are likely. For this reason, it was recently reported that the model with an OLED display might be a so-called "MacBook Ultra" that is positioned above the MacBook Pro in the lineup.

Kuo expects the MacBook Air to receive an OLED display as well, but not until 2028 or 2029.

Apple just released MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, but if you are interested in bigger upgrades, it might be best to wait. The last MacBook Pro redesign occurred in 2021, so these moments do not come along too often.

Article Link: MacBook Pro to Receive 'Major Upgrade' by Early Next Year
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/11/macbook-pro-major-upgrade/
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turbineseaplane said:
Finally!

Once you go OLED, everything else pales in comparison.

Get OLED 120hz everywhere, at least as BTO, stat!
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I dunno man the 1600 nit HDR XDR Mini LED screen on the MBP is pretty amazing sitting it beside the Samsung QD-OLED panel in my Alienware 34" OLED, 65" C4 LG OLED and wifes iPad Pro M5, def nothing to be disappointed about, in fact I prefer the Mini-LED due to its 100% nature of not having to worry about burn in. The Alienware has a lot of protections but I still hide menus and don't sit on static things for long
 
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kaspurr said:
I dunno man the 1600 nit HDR XDR Mini LED screen on the MBP is pretty amazing sitting it beside the Samsung QD-OLED panel in my Alienware 34" OLED, 65" C4 LG OLED and wifes iPad Pro M5, def nothing to be disappointed about, in fact I prefer the Mini-LED due to its 100% nature of not having to worry about burn in. The Alienware has a lot of protections but I still hide menus and don't sit on static things for long
Click to expand...

Have yet to have any across the OLEDs in my life, but I understand being worried about it.

I don't care for Mini-LED

I just can't unsee any amount of blooming once I got used to truly per pixel lighting.
 
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Alfonson said:
Somehow true but somehow I couldn’t care less as I don’t work in graphic design and the point of “good enough” has been reached a long time ago.
Would there be a lower cost lcd option in would chose that.
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Yes, I would like see Apple embrace BTO screen options and let folks pay for the screen tech they'd prefer.

Some may choose LCD/60 and some of us would be willing to pay up for OLED/120 or MLED/120, etc.
 
One thing to remember, Apple has never released a new generation processor ONLY in a high end system. They always release it in something like an iPad, iMac, or MacBook Air alongside a Pro type MacBook. And, the ONLY time only ONE device has gotten a new generation processor before anything else, it was an iPad Pro with the M4.
 
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kaspurr said:
in fact I prefer the Mini-LED due to its 100% nature of not having to worry about burn in
Click to expand...
This is a TV test, but they found OLED's were the least problematic display tech:

www.tomshardware.com

Three year test shows OLED is significantly more reliable than LCD, with most lasting more than 10,000 hours — 20 TVs failed out of 102 tested

Price and reliability don't scale.
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com

Burn-in has not been a concern on iPhones, so not sure why it would be for MacBooks.

Here a couple tests that show how little burn in happens:

www.pcmag.com

Here's What 2 Years of QD-OLED Monitor Burn-In Looks Like

The team at YouTube channel Monitor Unboxed stress-tested an MSI OLED monitor for two years, and the results aren't as bad as you might think.
www.pcmag.com www.pcmag.com

www.pcgamer.com

After 3,000 hours and two years another OLED gaming monitor fails to burn-in significantly

Burn-in does happen, just not very much.
www.pcgamer.com www.pcgamer.com
 
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I've never used OLED on anything other than my phones, and previously my apple watch. Is it really that big of a deal?

I do wonder about burn-in, when some people (like me), will keep a laptop for a decade.
 
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WarmWinterHat said:
I've never used OLED on anything other than my phones, and previously my apple watch. Is it really that big of a deal?

I do wonder about burn-in, which some people (like me), will often keep a laptop for a decade.
Click to expand...

The perfect blacks, luscious colors and per pixel lighting are simply unmatched.

It's glorious.

I'm looking at a portable OLED 16"/120hz/3K monitor connected to my Mac Mini M4 right now.
Just the wallpaper is breathtaking.
 
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OLED, new design, and touchscreen.

Unless Apple includes burn in protection, which none of their other OLED devices have, I’m not super excited about it. Although seeing it in person could convince me otherwise and I’ll be ready to upgrade my M1-Pro next year.

I hope the new design is more significant that the Neo which is basically more rounded corners.

Touchscreen implies that we might get a convertible MacBook which I’m here for.
 
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Can someone explain to me how Apple can avoid OLED burn in? OLED is on iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch yes, but people don't really use those products in the same way as a MacBook, do they? Or maybe Apple can't avoid it? Or is burn in not that big of an issue? I have seen newer OLED monitors have burn when used for productivity but you have to turn all the mitigation settings off at this point.
 
The Neo and the Ultra were designed together.

Apple didn't launch a $599 laptop and then start thinking about what goes above it. They extended the ladder in both directions simultaneously. Neo at the bottom to open the door for everyone who couldn't get in. Ultra at the top for everyone who wants the absolute best Mac ever made. Air and Pro holding the middle.

Four rungs. Four names. Four permanent positions. Each one distinct enough that nobody trades down and everyone has a visible upgrade path.

And the PC industry spent this week in emergency meetings about the bottom rung whilst Apple is already building the top one.
 
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