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Next year’s MacBook Pro redesign with OLED gets timeline update

Apple hasn’t yet shipped the M5 MacBook Pro, but next year the company is rumored to debut an M6 model featuring a “total redesign” that’s thinner and lighter. And that redesigned MacBook Pro with an OLED display just got a fresh timeline update.

Production timeline for MacBook Pro OLED displays revealed

Next year, Apple is expected to ship two very different new MacBook Pros. Early in the year, the M5 MacBook Pro is expected, which will continue the current hardware design and largely be a spec bump update.

But later on, the M6 MacBook Pro is rumored to feature:

  • a “total redesign” that’s thinner and lighter
  • an OLED display with no notch cutout
  • and possibly 5G cellular and touchscreen support

Even if only the first two rumors pan out, it should still be a big update for a product that hasn’t been redesigned since 2021.

Today, TheElec shared a report outlining the new model’s timeline based on supply chain leaks.

Gijong Lee writes at TheElec:

Samsung Display will start production of OLED panels for Apple’s MacBook Pros next year, TheElec has learned.

Accordingly, MacBooks sporting the OLED panels, a first for the series, are expected to launch in the fourth quarter next year.

Samsung Display will start production late in the second quarter of 2026, sources said. It is planning to manufacture 14-inch and 16-inch OLED panels. Expected production volume is 2 million to 3 million units.

The South Korean display panel maker will start manufacturing prototypes of the two types of panels at its Gen 8 OLED factory A6 later this year.

The report provides corroboration of a couple details we’ve heard before, like the OLED displays in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes.

It also indicates Apple could be leaning toward an early 4Q launch window for the new model.

If Samsung is starting display production in the second quarter (say, May or June), an October launch seems likely for the product.

For comparison, last year the M4 MacBook Pro was announced at the end of October but didn’t ship until November. And this year, the M5 MacBook Pro was initially expected this fall, but signs now point to an early 2026 launch instead.

There will undoubtedly be plenty more leaks and rumors about the redesigned MacBook Pro in the lead-up to its unveiling next fall. We’ll keep you posted on all the latest.

Are you excited to see the MacBook Pro get a redesign, or would you prefer the current design stick around? Let us know in the comments.

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Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.