If the rumor mill is to be believed, 2026 will characteristic an unusually giant harvest of Apple products. That is shaping as much as be a standout yr for MacBooks, and we is likely to be solely every week or two away from seeing the primary new fashions.
The MacBook Professional is lined as much as be the primary MacBook replace of the yr, with Apple bringing the higher-powered M5 Pro and M5 Max chips to each the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional strains later this month or in March. Then Apple might transfer to the opposite finish of the spectrum and launch its rumored $599 budget MacBook. Additionally within the first half of the yr, the MacBook Air is more likely to obtain an M5 chip refresh. And earlier than the yr is out, we might see the first MacBook Pros with OLED touchscreens.
Web hypothesis has given method to extra concrete proof of those MacBook releases, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman cites inside Apple communications that reveal “a remarkably busy 2026 with a slew of product releases over the following a number of weeks.”
In keeping with Gurman, the M5 refreshes for the MacBook Professional and MacBook Air could possibly be simply across the nook, and the funds MacBook may not be far behind. Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the timing, pricing and particulars of the MacBook refreshes anticipated this yr.
The reported 2026 MacBook launch timeline
Whereas the rumors swirl concerning the MacBook releases anticipated this yr, we do not have precise dates for when the brand new fashions can be introduced. From what I’ve gathered on-line, here is my finest guess of after we would possibly see new MacBooks this yr.
- February or March: M5 Professional and M5 Max MacBook Execs, M5 MacBook Air
- First half of 2026: Funds MacBook (estimated worth of $599)
- Second half of 2026:Â Touchscreen OLED MacBook Professional
Learn on for a more in-depth have a look at the timing, pricing and particulars of the MacBook refreshes anticipated this yr.
The 14-inch M5 MacBook Professional launched in October, so we’re anticipating the remainder of the lineup very quickly.
M5 Professional and M5 Max updates for the MacBook Professional
The MacBook Professional was the primary MacBook to obtain Apple’s newest M5 processor when the 14-inch MacBook Pro was launched final October. Now, Apple is anticipated to increase its M5 choices and produce the higher-powered M5 Professional and M5 Max chips to the MacBook Professional.Â
The 16-inch MacBook Pro continues to be ready for its M5 replace and also needs to get M5 Professional and M5 Max chips similtaneously its smaller Professional sibling.
CNET’s Lori Grunin examined the M5 chip and famous that it delivers massive efficiency enhancements over the M4 “within the slender areas the place it applies, specifically on-GPU processing for AI and ray-traced graphics.” Nonetheless, the M5 MacBook Professional struggles to maintain up with the world of AAA gaming.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max processors will seemingly observe within the footsteps of earlier M-series Professional and Max chips, that includes extra CPU and GPU cores and better reminiscence allotments.
MacBook Professional fashions with these high-end chips come at increased costs geared towards processing-intensive duties like video rendering, 3D modeling and AI workloads. If pricing stays secure, which is not a certain wager with the worldwide RAM shortage, the 14-inch MacBook Professional with an M5 Professional chip will seemingly begin at $1,999 and the 16-inch Professional with an M5 Professional will seemingly begin at $2,499.
As with the final MacBook Professional replace final October, these M5 updates can be inside upgrades with none important modifications to the laptop computer’s design. In keeping with Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, these M5 Professional and M5 Max updates will arrive with Apple’s subsequent main Mac software program replace, MacOS 26.3, in February or March. If you’re eyeing a MacBook Professional buy, it in all probability is sensible to carry off on it and anticipate the brand new fashions to reach.
Lastly, a real funds MacBook?
Apple is reportedly planning to enter the funds laptop computer market with a low-cost mannequin that’ll be rather more reasonably priced than the present least expensive mannequin, the M4 MacBook Air, which begins at $999. This new mannequin will ditch Apple’s M-series in favor of an A-series chip — the identical processor that powers the iPhone and will value as little as $699 or as little as $599 with Apple’s training low cost.
Apple already makes the declare that the A19 Pro chip that debuted within the iPhone 17 Professional and the iPhone Air offers “MacBook Professional ranges of compute.” However based on industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it is attainable — even possible — {that a} funds MacBook would make the most of an A18 Professional chip (the chip used within the iPhone 16 Professional) as a substitute.
A funds laptop computer with an A18 Professional chip would seemingly supply diminishing returns compared to the MacBook M4 chips, operating roughly 40% slower than the present era of Macs. The A18 Professional additionally does not characteristic help for Thunderbolt ports, so the funds MacBook would seemingly come outfitted with less-capable USB-C ports as a substitute.
The brand new rumored funds MacBook can be much more compact than the smallest M4 MacBook Air mannequin.
The opposite approach Apple will reportedly maintain the costs down on this new funds MacBook is by shrinking the show measurement. Kuo reported the laptop computer will characteristic an “roughly 13-inch show,” which is a declare corroborated by Gurman. It might characteristic a 12.9-inch display screen, which might be a bit smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. However it also needs to be slightly lighter than the two.7-pound Air, making it not solely probably the most reasonably priced MacBook but additionally probably the most transportable.
This new funds MacBook will compete with Chromebooks and entry-level Home windows laptops, which might be a brand new section of the marketplace for an Apple laptop computer. Gurman wrote that the machine is meant for “individuals who primarily browse the net, work on paperwork or conduct gentle media enhancing.” This could possibly be the brand new MacBook for college students. Timing is slightly murkier for the discharge of this funds MacBook, however hopefully it would arrive earlier than the beginning of the following faculty yr.
M5 coming to the MacBook Air
Simply as Apple is reportedly gearing as much as give its premium MacBook Execs a refresh with new, extra highly effective chips, the thinnest, most transportable MacBooks are additionally set to get an improve. It is pretty normal for the MacBook Air to get a springtime refresh, and the M4 MacBook Air was launched in March 2025.
Gurman reported that we’ll seemingly see an M5 MacBook Air launch through the first quarter of the yr, so we will anticipate the refresh in the identical time-frame this yr. Just like the MacBook Execs, we’re not anticipating to see a redesign with the M5 MacBook Air. A brand new-look Air is a minimum of a pair extra years away, according to Gurman.Â
The 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage which were built-in into earlier variations of the MacBook Air will seemingly be normal for any M5 MacBook Air. (I am conserving my fingers and toes crossed that the minimal storage will get moved as much as 512GB, although.)Â
The M4 MacBook Air begins at $999, and I anticipate pricing to stay unchanged for the M5 Air.
The primary OLED MacBook Execs
Would Apple launch two completely different units of MacBook Professional laptops in the identical yr? It’s more likely than you’d think, and it would not be unprecedented.
Apple launched two generations of MacBook Execs in 2023, starting the yr with M2 MacBook Pros and ending it with M3 MacBook Pros. So we all know that if Apple deems an development important sufficient, it would difficulty a number of refreshes in the identical yr.
An OLED MacBook Professional lineup would definitely qualify as a type of developments. According to Gurman, the OLED MacBook Execs would obtain a number of firsts for Mac computer systems, integrating a model new era of chips and a touchscreen show. Just like the earlier MacBook Execs, the OLED MacBook lineup would come with each 14- and 16-inch fashions.
The primary Macs with OLED shows are additionally rumored to borrow the Dynamic Island digicam cutout from the iPhone.
Apple has been catching as much as the remainder of the business by integrating OLED panels into extra merchandise, together with a few of its earlier iPhone and iPad Professional fashions. However as Gurman noted, this can mark the “first time that this higher-end, thinner system is utilized in a Mac.”
Touchscreen shows have been frequent in Home windows laptops for a while, however this rumored design can be the primary time Apple integrates them right into a MacBook. “The corporate has taken years to formulate its strategy to the market, aiming to enhance on present designs,” wrote Gurman. “[Apple] has developed a bolstered hinge and display screen {hardware} to forestall the show from bouncing again or transferring when touched.”Â
The design will reportedly nonetheless combine normal MacBook Professional keyboard and trackpad performance. What’s going to apparently change, nonetheless, is the digicam cutout on the prime of the display screen. Gurman reported that Apple is retiring the long-lasting “notch” in favor of “a so-called hole-punch design that leaves a show space across the sensor,” just like the Dynamic Island launched on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
The OLED MacBook Execs could possibly be the primary Mac computer systems to make use of next-generation M6 chips, according to Gurman. They’re going to additionally characteristic thinner, lighter frames that make them extra transportable than present MacBook Professional designs.
If the MacBook Professional adopts a touchscreen design, the pc would be the closest merger between Mac and iPad we’ve seen yet. Trade analyst Kuo believes this shift “displays Apple’s long-term commentary of iPad person habits, indicating that in sure eventualities, contact controls can improve each productiveness and the general person expertise.”
Because it stands, although, the OLED MacBook Professional will nonetheless present a extra conventional laptop expertise than different Apple merchandise — do not anticipate the absolutely hands-on, tactile navigation of an iPad fairly but. A trackpad and keyboard management scheme will stay vital pillars of the MacBook expertise.
The pricier parts and OLED panels will seemingly lead to a rise within the worth of the OLED MacBook Professional. The OLED fashions will seemingly be a number of hundred {dollars} greater than their present Liquid Retina show counterparts. The present 14-inch MacBook Professional begins at $1,999, and the 16-inch Professional begins at $2,499.
The OLED MacBook Pros are rumored to enter manufacturing this yr. Whereas Gurman beforehand reported that the OLED MacBook Execs is likely to be launched in early 2027, more recent internal reports recommend that Apple is concentrating on the tip of 2026 for a possible launch.
