Expect the MacBook Pro 2026 redesign to be Apple's first Mac with an OLED touchscreen, in 14 inch and 16 inch sizes, with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner body and a small camera cutout instead of the notch, but do not expect built in 5G or eSIM, because neither is confirmed. Apple has not announced the model yet. What we know comes from reports by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and display analyst Ross Young, and their timing points to late 2026 or early 2027. This guide separates what several sources agree on from speculation, explains why the release date keeps moving and shows what the evidence says about a MacBook with eSIM, including how much data a MacBook uses on your phone's hotspot abroad.
Feature | Status | Main sources |
|---|---|---|
Tandem OLED display | Well sourced | Gurman, Kuo, Ross Young |
Touchscreen on 14 and 16 inch models | Well sourced | Gurman, Kuo |
M5 Pro and M5 Max chips | Well sourced, changed from M6 | Gurman |
Thinner body, camera cutout instead of notch | Well sourced | Gurman |
Late 2026 or early 2027 | Well sourced, but moving | Gurman, supply chain reports |
Dynamic Island style camera area | Speculative | Comparison with the iPhone |
Touch friendly macOS 27 | Speculative | Clues in Apple's code |
Higher price | Speculative | Comparison with the iPad Pro |
5G and eSIM | Unconfirmed | One code leak from 2025 |
What is confirmed about the OLED MacBook Pro
Count on four hardware changes: a tandem OLED touchscreen, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner body and a camera cutout instead of the notch. Apple has confirmed none of them, but several independent sources agree on all four.
A tandem OLED touchscreen
The new MacBook Pro is expected to use tandem OLED, a screen with two OLED layers stacked on top of each other, which is the same technology Apple uses in the iPad Pro. Two layers make the screen brighter and help it last longer. The screen should also respond to touch on both sizes, which would make it the first touchscreen Mac. Reports mention a reinforced hinge, so the display stays steady when you tap it.
M5 Pro and M5 Max chips
The redesign is expected to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max, not the M6 chips that earlier reports mentioned. In June 2026, Gurman reported that Apple had sped up its work on the M7 chip, which moved this redesign onto the M5 generation. This matters for buyers: the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro already went on sale in March 2026 in the current design, so the redesign is about the screen and the body, not about a faster chip.
A thinner body without a notch
The new model should be noticeably thinner than today's MacBook Pro, which measures 1.55 cm (0.61 inch). The notch at the top of the screen is expected to give way to a small punch hole camera, similar to the cutout on recent iPhones.
When will the OLED MacBook Pro come out?
Expect the MacBook Pro 2026 redesign in late 2026 or early 2027, and do not count on a fixed date yet. Several supply chain reports, not only the usual rumour sources, point to shortages of DRAM and NAND memory chips as the reason the timing has moved more than once.
Your situation | Our advice |
|---|---|
You need a MacBook Pro in the coming months | Buy the current M5 Pro or M5 Max model, which has the same chips |
You want the OLED touchscreen and thinner body | Wait until late 2026 or early 2027 |
You want a MacBook with built in 5G or eSIM | Do not wait for this model, because cellular is not confirmed |
Dynamic Island and macOS 27: still speculation
Treat these three rumours as educated guesses, because none of them comes from a leaked device or a direct source.
Rumour | What it is based on | How solid |
|---|---|---|
A Dynamic Island style area around the camera | How the iPhone works, not a leaked MacBook | Weak |
A touch friendly macOS 27 with larger buttons and menus | Clues in Apple's code, which do not guarantee a finished feature | Medium |
A higher price | The iPad Pro became about 200 dollars more expensive in the United States when it switched to tandem OLED | Likely, but no price has leaked |
Will the MacBook Pro 2026 have 5G or eSIM?
Do not buy the MacBook Pro 2026 expecting 5G or eSIM, because neither is confirmed. Published reports suggest that Apple has tested a cellular MacBook Pro, but that evidence has clear limits.
The evidence | Its limits |
|---|---|
In August 2025, Macworld's Filipe Esposito reported finding code that mentions an unreleased MacBook Pro (code name t6050) with an M5 Pro chip and Apple's own C1 modem, the same modem as in the iPhone 16e | The report is more than a year old, and the early 2026 timing it suggested has passed without a cellular Mac |
Code found in software is usually stronger evidence than renders or supply chain guesses | Code can point to what is being tested, not to what will be sold, and Gurman has suggested cellular Macs may wait for Apple's next modem, the C2 |
No credible report says the OLED model will ship with a modem, so for now no MacBook has a SIM card slot or an eSIM, and the way to get your laptop online away from WiFi is to share your phone's connection through Personal Hotspot.
How much data does a MacBook use on a hotspot?
Plan for about 1.5 GB for a working day on your MacBook and about 8 GB for a five day working week, based on six hours of browsing and email plus one hour of video calls per day. Video and automatic updates use the most:
What you do on your MacBook | Average data use |
|---|---|
Email and chat messages | A few MB per hour |
Web browsing | About 50 to 150 MB per hour |
Zoom call, audio only | About 60 MB per hour |
Zoom video call with one person, HD | Up to about 1 GB per hour |
Zoom group video call, HD | Up to about 2 GB per hour |
Netflix in HD | Up to 3 GB per hour |
A macOS or app update | Often several GB per update |
Turn on Low Data Mode for your hotspot network in your Mac's WiFi settings and pause automatic updates before you connect, so one unexpected download does not use up your data abroad.
How to get your MacBook online abroad today
Connect your MacBook through your phone, which makes the connection on your phone the one that counts. Firsty is built around eSIM, so your phone connects to local networks automatically wherever you travel: no SIM card to swap, no roaming setting to remember, no zone chart to check and no surprise bill. Every connection Firsty sells also connects someone in Belgium who needs one, not as charity, but as how the business works. Things are moving, so keep an eye on what Firsty is building and discover more at Firsty.app.
FAQ
When will the OLED MacBook Pro come out?
The OLED MacBook Pro is expected in late 2026 or early 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and several supply chain reports. The date has moved more than once because of shortages of DRAM and NAND memory chips. Apple has not announced the model or a release date.
Does the MacBook Pro have a touchscreen?
No current MacBook Pro has a touchscreen. The redesigned MacBook Pro 2026 is expected to be the first Mac with a touchscreen, using an OLED display with touch built into the screen on both the 14 inch and 16 inch models. Apple has not confirmed this yet.
Why are MacBooks not touchscreen?
macOS was designed for a trackpad and mouse rather than fingers, and Apple has kept touch for the iPad and the iPhone instead. Reports now suggest Apple will change course with the OLED MacBook Pro and a more touch friendly macOS 27.
Which chip will the MacBook Pro 2026 have?
The redesigned MacBook Pro 2026 is expected to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Earlier rumours pointed to M6 chips, but Bloomberg reported in June 2026 that Apple moved the redesign onto the M5 generation. The same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips have been available in the current MacBook Pro since March 2026.
Will the MacBook Pro 2026 have 5G?
5G is not confirmed for the MacBook Pro 2026. Code that Macworld reported finding in August 2025 mentions a MacBook Pro with Apple's C1 modem, but that report is over a year old, and Mark Gurman has suggested cellular Macs may wait for Apple's next C2 modem. No credible report links 5G to the OLED model.
Can you use an eSIM on a MacBook?
No, no MacBook currently supports a SIM card or an eSIM, because Apple has never sold a Mac with a built in modem. To get a MacBook online away from WiFi, you share your phone's mobile data through Personal Hotspot. An eSIM on your phone therefore decides what mobile internet on your MacBook costs when you travel.
How much data does a MacBook use on a hotspot?
A MacBook uses about 1.5 GB on a working day of browsing, email and one hour of video calls, or about 8 GB for a five day working week. A one to one Zoom call in HD uses up to about 1 GB per hour, and a single macOS update can use several GB. Turn on Low Data Mode for your hotspot network to limit background downloads.
Will the new MacBook Pro have a Dynamic Island?
A Dynamic Island on the MacBook is a rumour, not a confirmed feature. Reports expect a punch hole camera instead of the notch, and some writers expect Apple to add a Dynamic Island style area around it, as on the iPhone. No leaked device or direct source has confirmed this.
Should you buy a MacBook Pro now or wait?
Buy now if you need a MacBook Pro soon, because the current M5 Pro and M5 Max models already have the chips expected in the redesign. Wait if you want the OLED touchscreen and the thinner body, which are expected in late 2026 or early 2027. Expect the redesign to cost more than today's model.
MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone, macOS and Dynamic Island are trademarks of Apple Inc. Firsty is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Apple. This article is based on published reports and rumours from third party sources, not on information from Apple, and all unreleased features, chips, prices and dates are unconfirmed until Apple announces them. Last updated on 30 September 2026.
