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MacBook Pro Likely to Get OLED Display and Thinner Design in 2026

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While the new MacBook Pro lineup features faster M4 chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations, a nano-texture display option, and more, most of the previous MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips still offer the latest overall design, and fast performance, which might lead you to avoid upgrading this year.

Apple-MacBook-Pro-M4-hero.jpg

If you are planning to skip the new MacBook Pro, here are two bigger changes that are rumored to come to the laptop in a few years from now.

First is an OLED display. Previous rumors have claimed the MacBook Pro will switch to OLED display technology as early as 2026. In the meantime, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and display industry analyst Ross Young both recently predicted that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will continue to have mini-LED displays in 2025.

Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness, higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more. The switch to OLED displays could also contribute to future MacBook Pro models having a thinner design.

Second is the just-mentioned thinner design. Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working to make the MacBook Pro thinner over the "next couple of years." He said that Apple is aiming to create a class of devices that "should be the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry."

A more vivid OLED display and a much thinner design would be more compelling upgrades that might finally drive existing Apple silicon MacBook Pro users to upgrade.

Update — November 3: In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that the MacBook Pro will "probably" get a "true overhaul" in 2026, with an OLED display and a thinner design. He expects only a small performance boost for the 2025 MacBook Pro models, with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips that are "already near completion."

Article Link: MacBook Pro Likely to Get OLED Display and Thinner Design in 2026
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/03/future-macbook-pro-rumors/
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“Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness”

There are no commercially available OLED screens of the size and quality needed that will be brighter than what Apple is using now. I could be unaware of one, but I’ve looked. Maybe for much higher costs, if there is one. I know this is a rumor for future devices but if I wrote this article I’d hedge the “increased brightness” part. Maybe there will be brighter large OLED screens within the next 1.5 years (to make a late 2026 release deadline), but what’s getting released now (13” iPad Pro) is just matching the LEDs for brightness.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
“Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness”

There are no commercially available OLED screens of the size and quality needed that will be brighter than what Apple is using now. I could be unaware of one, but I’ve looked. Maybe for much higher costs, if there is one.
Click to expand...
This isn’t a rumour for now though, it’s for in a couple of years time?
 
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"Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working to make the MacBook Pro thinner over the "next couple of years."
Click to expand...

Good to hear. I'm tempted by the base M4 MacBook Pro, but I'll probably wait for the M4 Air because I value portability and the Pro is just such a chunky monkey. Apple makes the most efficient chips in the industry, so there's no reason they can't make a slimmer, lighter Pro - especially when the base model shares exactly the same chip as the MacBook Air.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
“Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness”

There are no commercially available OLED screens of the size and quality needed that will be brighter than what Apple is using now. I could be unaware of one, but I’ve looked. Maybe for much higher costs, if there is one.
Click to expand...
What about their own Tandem OLED screen in the iPad Pro M4? Surely thats what they are going to use right as its basically the most advanced display in the world right now.
 
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Why this obsession with thinner above all? With as few ports etc as possible?
I don't know, it feels like there are deeper issues here which manifest as this push for more and more thin and less and less...functional? I don't know. It feels weird.
 
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Give MBP OLED. MacBook Air adding SD Card (and HDMI) would solve a lot of problems with the lineup, allowing those who prefer to use a thin and light (as opposed to power) to be able to use it in any environment or situation (school, office, conference), and then that would mean MBP could focus on being pro in terms of power, battery size, upgradability, fans and cooling, six speaker sound system, Thunderbolt count, OLED display, pro chip, etc. MBP should not ship with a chip slower than M4 Pro, to differentiate it from MBA in terms of speed. The jump from MBA to any MBP should ramp up the speed to pro levels.
 
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MacRumors said:


While the new MacBook Pro lineup features faster M4 chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations, a nano-texture display option, and more, most of the previous MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips still offer the latest overall design, and fast performance, which might lead you to avoid upgrading this year.

Apple-MacBook-Pro-M4-hero.jpg

If you are planning to skip the new MacBook Pro, here are two bigger changes that are rumored to come to the laptop in a few years from now.

First is an OLED display. Previous rumors have claimed the MacBook Pro will switch to OLED display technology as early as 2026. In the meantime, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and display industry analyst Ross Young both recently predicted that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will continue to have mini-LED displays in 2025.

Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness, higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more. The switch to OLED displays could also contribute to future MacBook Pro models having a thinner design.

Second is the just-mentioned thinner design. Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working to make the MacBook Pro thinner over the "next couple of years." He said that Apple is aiming to create a class of devices that "should be the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry."

A brighter OLED display and a much thinner design would be more compelling upgrades that might finally drive existing Apple silicon MacBook Pro users to upgrade.

Article Link: Skipping the New MacBook Pro? Here Are Two Bigger Changes Rumored
Click to expand...

I just don't get it. I see the value in a MacBook Air. But I don't even WANT a thinner MacBook Pro, even with all else equal. But given its a tradeoff, I'd much prefer more battery, more ports, better cooling, and more solidity/strength. Does anyone really want a thinner Pro?

The Airs are tippy and move around when you plug stuff inm. They feel... flimsy. Ugh.
 
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Disagree on thinness. It's already quite thin compared to most laptops. There's the Air for that.
Being a "pro" machine, it needs more power and features. And I think Apple is on this line, after all they made a non-Pro Pro (on its second gen now, so it must sell well) but no Pro Air, if that makes sense.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
“Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness”

There are no commercially available OLED screens of the size and quality needed that will be brighter than what Apple is using now. I could be unaware of one, but I’ve looked. Maybe for much higher costs, if there is one.
Click to expand...
M4 iPad Pro with Tandem OLED has full screen brightness of 1000 nits and peak brightness of 1600 nits (HDR). That matches these new M4 MBPs.

That screen tech already comes in 13” iPad Pronsize so it’s a matter of scaling a bit further for the two MBP screen sizes. No doubt it’s not cheap.
 
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Get rid of the notch, it shouldn’t have been there in the first place and screams compromise, a word that should not be associated with Apple.

And whilst you’re at it, bring back the touchbar. The current design still feels like a step back from the previous model, and now they have Apple Siliocon there should be no thermal issues.
 
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There are many issues to deal with OLED tech. Even M4 iPad Pro with dual stack OLED is NOT yet proven worthy to replace professional monitors which is still LCD based. But of course, since micro-LED wont be available for another decade, OLED is the only option to replace LCD based displays or otherwise, you may need dual LCD which consumes a lot of power.

But other than that, there are few things that I can suggest:

1. Remove notch
2. Add more TB5 ports, keep HDMI port
3. Ultra chip option with bigger size
4. Up to 240W charging
5. Better display or OLED
6. More SSD and RAM at max
7. Lower upgrading fees
8. Improve trackpad functionality
9. More battery
10. FHD webcam + Face ID
11. New type of Apple Silicon chip such as 3D packaging
12. Built-in Modem

But overall, this generation of MBP is the best of the best except the notch.

I'm not sure about SD cards cause it no longer updating since UHS-II and they lose opportunities to make next gens by CFexpress Type A and B. They literally stop improving the performance for a while. Tho I still use SD cards, not really sure if we really need it or not.
 
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