It’s no surprise to anyone that Apple is reportedly already working on a refreshedMacBook Pro. It can take years to develop new features and technologies, such as faster M-series processors. Once everything is locked in, it may take months to line up enough supplies and manufacturing to meet demand.
Case in point: Apple only launched itsM4-based Pro refreshin October 2024, yet we’re already seeing hints of what’s to come in 2025 and 2026. I’ll touch on a few rumors here – but there are other features l’d like to see, regardless of what Apple has planned.
Still clinging to the M3 MacBook Pro? These 5 M4 features are hard to ignore
Apple’s MacBook Pro has finally arrived with its next-generation M4 chip. Here’s what it gives you over last year’s M3.
1A shift to OLED displays
The new gold standard
The display on the M4 MacBook Pro looks fantastic, given its wide color gamut, HDR (high dynamic range), and up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness (the newnano-texturelook great, too). However, future models would look even better with OLED technology, which can shut off individual pixels to achieve true blacks. That and the absence of a backlight improve power efficiency as a bonus.
Research firmOmdiaclaims we’ll have to wait until at least 2026 for this upgrade. The OLED version of the laptop might also ditch the notch in the current MacBook, favoring “hole-punch” cutouts for front-facing cameras. Apple already uses OLED in a variety of products — namely the iPhone, Apple Watch, and the latest iPad Pro – and it’s about time the MacBook Pro caught up.
Why wasn’t Apple ready to launch an OLED MacBook with the new iPad Pro?
With reports claiming an OLED MacBook won’t be here until 2026, what’s the holdup?
2Face ID at long last
Leveling the field with Windows PCs
Speaking of cameras, Apple is overdue regarding bringing Face ID to the MacBook Pro. Biometric logins are still limited to Touch ID or a paired Apple Watch if you’re lucky. That might not seem like a crime until you realize Windows machines have had facial recognition for years, typically via Windows Hello.
Apple is overdue for putting Face ID on MacBooks.
Why is Face ID still missing in action? No one outside of Apple can say for sure, but the company may be worried about profit margins and improving the technology at range. On iPhones and iPads, Face ID is designed to work best at about an arm’s length – my iPad Pro forces me to lean in occasionally. Many Mac users sit further away from their screens, especially if they’re using a workstation setup with an external monitor and keyboard.
How to use Face ID to hide apps in iOS 18
iOS 18 lets you hide apps, making them more secure from other users.
3Built-in 5G support
I can live without cellular in a laptop, personally. If I’ve got my computer with me, I’ll almost certainly have my iPhone, too, so if there isn’t Wi-Fi available, I can just tether. But I support the option of a 5G-equipped MacBook Pro, which Apple is actively considering, according toBloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The reason I’m behind it is simple – living up to the “Pro” moniker. While you probably don’t need internal 5G if you’re editing a video in Final Cut, some people do use laptops at remote locations like oil fields and construction sites. Even if you’re not one of them, it’s always nice to know you can get online without tethering or hunting down a coffee shop.
Cellular could even become trivial if Apple produces an all-in-one wireless chip. If it doesn’t go that route, it could still add 5G as an option, much like it does with the iPad.
Can you get by with just 5G home broadband? I tried it to find out
Not yet, anyway. Trust me, I tried it for almost a year.
4Better support for gaming
Apple’s Achilles heel
For whatever reason, Apple has always sidelined gaming, reaching back to the days of Steve Jobs. Apple executives will pay lip service to it – showingResident Evil 8running on an iPhone, for instance – but the selection on the App Store is downright pathetic. Many of the games available are simple, meant to do little more than serve you ads or milk you for in-app purchases. EvenSteam’s Mac library is anemic. Simply put, most A-list developers prefer consoles and Windows PCs.
Whatever happened to “work hard, play hard?”
Apple could change that if it wanted to – the MacBook Pros is plenty powerful. The company just doesn’t seem invested in making Mac ports easier or spending the cash needed to attract top-tier studios. Its efforts are never more than half-hearted. Until there’s passion and budget involved, expect Windows PCs to reign unchallenged in computer gaming.
