It's been a while since the MacBook Pro was given some design love, but rumour has it the ultimate creative laptop could be in for a significant refresh in 2026. New reports suggest the Pro is not only first in line for the cutting-edge M6 chip, but it will also getting a visual upgrade too.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is readying a huge overhaul for the MacBook Pro range, featuring a hugely improved display, thinner design, new chip, and potentially a shift away from the controversial camera 'notch'. With the current M4 MacBook Pro already one of our best laptops for photo editing, the M6 sounds an instant winner – and almost certainly a shoo-in to our list of the best Macs for video editing.
The current M4 MacBook Pro (Image credit: Future / Erlingur Einarsson)
Currently only the iPad Pro features Apple's impressive two-stack tandem OLED display, but that tech could hit the MacBook Pro in 2026 according to Gurman. This allows for brighter colours and much higher contrast, which could make a huge difference for creatives.
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Meanwhile, the thinner design could mitigate the Pro's natural drawback of being the bulkiest MacBook available. The 16-inch models in particular are beasts, so anything that's thinner and lighter could be an enticing proposition for creatives on the go.
The M6 MacBook Pro could enjoy the same OLED display as the M4 iPad Pro (Image credit: Glen Southern)
Meanwhile, research firm Omdia has claimed (as spotted by 9to5Mac) has suggested "switch from a “rounded corner + notch cut” to a “rounded corner + hole cut” to house the device’s webcam." While the report doesn't mention the Dynamic Island, it would make sense for Apple to adopt it here, seeing as it's what replaced the notch on the iPhone. And with Apple rumoured to be bringing VisionOS visuals to the iPhone, it seems the company wants to increase the consistency of its design language across devices.
Is the notch finally getting nixxed? (Image credit: Apple/Future owns)
While it'll be the raw power of M6 that draws in many creatives, these design changes could offer significant quality of life upgrades for creatives. A thinner design and brighter display would make this a shoo-in for our best laptops for graphic design roundup. In the meantime, take a look at today's best M4 MacBook Pro deals below.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
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