Apple plans to launch new MacBook Pro models as early as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because something much better is in the works.
We are expecting the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips with few changes besides the processor upgrade. There will be no design or display changes, but a massive refresh is coming later this year. Rumors suggest that there won’t be just one MacBook Pro refresh in 2026, but two.
After launching the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models in the spring, Apple will make another update in late 2026 and introduce the first OLED MacBook Pro models. The OLED MacBook Pro is expected to have a new design, faster M6 chips, all-new display technology and, a first for a Mac, touchscreen capabilities.
It will be the biggest update to the Mac lineup since Apple’s silicon chips were introduced in 2020. iPhones have used OLED for years, and Apple brought it to the iPad Pro in 2024, but Macs don’t use OLED yet.
Apple has been saying for years that the Mac won’t get a touchscreen, but times are changing. Many rumors suggest that touch features are coming, making the Mac more of an iPad. Touch control will be available right next to traditional mouse and keyboard input options.
The OLED MacBook Pro models will be the first to use Apple’s 2-nanometer chip technology, and could even be the first Macs with mobile capabilities. With so many changes in store, it doesn’t make much sense to buy an M5 Pro or M5 Max MacBook Pro with much better options coming only months later.
OLED touchscreens will be limited to higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch models due to price, so the warning doesn’t apply to the standard M5 MacBook Pro that came out last fall. The base MacBook Pro is not expected to get the same upgrades, though it is likely to get an M6 chip.
It’s also possible that OLED will be so expensive that it’s limited to a single, super-expensive high-end model, but we’re still likely looking at upgrades to the M6 chip and a design update across the range.
Two Mac updates in a single year is unusual, but not unexpected. Apple updated the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January 2023, then updated the machines again in October 2023 with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.
Normally, a Mac refresh leads to a Buy From Us recommendation, but this year, with rumors of two updates in 2026 and much-anticipated later models, those looking for a high-end, premium MacBook Pro should plan to wait.