Apple is expected to unveil its first MacBook Pro redesign in five years next week, according to a preview from 9to5Mac. Rumors suggest the new machine will carry the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as the current lineup, but will set itself apart in at least four other ways.
The first is weight. The new model is expected to be slightly thinner than today's MacBook Pro, but the more notable change is how much lighter it will be. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that the new MacBook Pros are "significantly lighter," with Apple having reengineered the interior by miniaturizing parts and rearranging components to make the computer much easier to carry.
Because the body is not expected to slim down dramatically, port changes are likely to be minimal. That would suggest Apple has taken note of criticism over port removals in earlier generations.
The second change is the screen. The current MacBook Pro uses a Liquid Retina XDR display, which is widely regarded as excellent, but Apple is said to be moving the new model to OLED. The company has used OLED in iPhones for years, and the iPad Pro is its only larger device with the technology. The tandem OLED panel introduced on the iPad Pro in 2024 was described by Apple as "the world's most advanced display."
Third, the OLED panel is expected to support touch. Few MacBook Pro owners have asked for the feature, but the new display will reportedly offer full touchscreen capabilities, with touch optimizations built into macOS Golden Gate. Touch is not meant to replace the trackpad and keyboard, which remain the primary input methods. Instead, it is expected to serve as a secondary option.
The fourth change is the removal of the notch, which arrived on the Mac with the 2021 MacBook Pro redesign. According to reports, the new model will replace it with a hole-punch camera cutout. That mirrors Apple's approach on the iPhone, where the company dropped the notch on its Pro models first.
A new Dynamic Island feature is also expected to debut with the laptop. There is a chance it could reach older Macs through a software update.
The preview drew some skepticism from readers. One commenter, GoldBasketball, questioned the focus on weight for one of Apple's heavier laptops, arguing that professional users would likely prefer more battery life or better cooling. The commenter suggested a lighter design would matter more on Apple's smaller machines, where a 2 lb MacBook compared with a 2.7 lb model would be a major selling point for mobility.
