What Apple's Next MacBook Redesign Actually Changes, Explained
Last Updated: 2026-07-28 10:46:49
Apple hasn’t touched the MacBook Pro’s actual shape since 2021. Four chip generations have come and gone, and the case itself hasn’t moved a millimetre. That streak looks set to end with Apple’s next high-end model, and unusually, we know a lot about what’s changing before a single leaked photo has surfaced. Here’s a breakdown of what’s reportedly different, and what Apple is leaving alone.
The screen: OLED, no notch, smaller bezels
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The headline change is the display technology itself. Apple is moving away from mini-LED and switching to OLED, a shift Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has flagged as significant enough on its own to call this a “true overhaul” rather than a routine spec bump.
That switch brings a domino effect. Removing the mini-LED backlight cuts out an entire physical layer from the lid, freeing up space that Apple appears to be using to slim down the top half of the laptop specifically. Research firm Omdia’s roadmap, later backed up independently by Bloomberg, also points to the four-year-old notch finally disappearing, replaced by a small pill-shaped hole-punch cutout built around an interactive Dynamic Island, essentially bringing the iPhone’s now-familiar cutout design to the Mac.
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There’s a genuinely interesting software clue backing this up. macOS 27’s new Spotlight “Search or Ask” interface already uses a dark, pill-shaped design, the exact shape that would frame a cutout like this neatly. It’s a reasonable sign Apple has already started building the software groundwork ahead of the hardware.
Screen size gets a small bump too. Omdia reports Samsung Display is supplying 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch panels, just slightly larger than today’s 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch screens. Fitted into a chassis that isn’t growing by much, that points to noticeably thinner bezels around the edges.
The body: thinner, and possibly touch-enabled
Every current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro measures exactly 15.5mm thick, a number that’s held steady since 2021. No specific new figure has leaked yet, but Apple is reportedly chasing one of the thinnest, lightest builds in its entire product category, not just against its own past models.
Alongside that, Apple is said to be reinforcing the hinge to stop the screen wobbling when tapped, a detail that lines up with broader reports the machine may finally support touch input, something Apple has resisted on Macs for years. Whether the lid opens back further than the current model, which stops at a fairly limited angle, remains unconfirmed.
What Apple isn’t changing
Despite the scale of these changes, plenty is staying put. Bloomberg reported in February that the laptop will keep its current keyboard and trackpad, and stick with a standard clamshell shape in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, no detachable screen, no convertible hinge. Ports look safe too. HDMI, MagSafe, and the SD card slot, all restored in 2021 after Apple’s earlier thin-and-light MacBooks controversially dropped them, aren’t mentioned in any report as being at risk this time.