For the first time in five years, the MacBook Pro is rumored to get a major redesign later this year with significant feature upgrades too. I’m excited by what’s coming, but there’s one change that may not be for everyone.
M6 MacBook Pro will get thinner as part of ‘total redesign’
Ever since 2021, the MacBook Pro has been in a pretty strong place. Apple silicon and the return of pro-focused ports have made the current MacBook Pro design a winner.
But long-time Mac users will remember the dark days of Apple’s previous MacBook Pro design.
Under Jony Ive’s leadership, Apple launched a MacBook Pro in 2016 that became infamous for prioritizing form over function. It was thinner and lighter than the previous model, but with two major drawbacks:
- the new butterfly keyboard proved unreliable due to sticking keys
- all ports except USB-C were dropped to achieve the thin body
This controversial design lasted until 2021—far longer than it should have, per general consensus.
But now, rumors indicate Apple will once again launch a thinner MacBook Pro in 2026 as part of a “total redesign.”
And personally, I’m very excited for this new model.
The M6 MacBook Pro is expected to be not only thinner and lighter, but also gain an OLED display with no notch, touch support, and possibly a C2 cellular modem.
It sounds like one of the biggest Mac upgrades in a long time.
But the “thinner” part might make some users nervous. And its success will depend on the execution details.
Top comment by Doug
I'd look at how the 13" iPad pro update went. Thinner, more powerful Tandem Oled and great battery life. You really can have it all, with the one caveat...HDMI. When will we be allowed to give up that port and simply move to display port over usb C?
Why haven't consumer devices (tv's, receivers, consoles, set top boxes, and other) just started supporting DisplayPort over USB C? I is time.
If Apple can make the MacBook Pro thinner without losing any ports or sacrificing performance or battery life, the new M6 model could be a big hit.
If thinness comes at the cost of features that pro users care about most, that could be a problem.
I’m hopeful Apple won’t make 2016’s mistake all over again, but only time will tell.
Are you worried at all about the rumored MacBook Pro redesign? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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