Apple is rumored to be launching a new M6 MacBook Pro with a completely redesigned design later this year. Here are six new features to expect from the M6 MacBook Pro.
#1: New thinner and lighter design
The MacBook Pro design last changed in 2021, but there are rumors that the next design overhaul will come later this year.
bloomberg It has been “completely redesigned” to be thinner and lighter than the current model.
There’s no word yet on whether ports will be affected, but I’d be surprised if Apple pushes the “thin and light” angle too far this time. All signs point to lessons being learned from the problematic pre-2021 design. And there is no doubt that the enclosure still needs to be thick enough to provide adequate cooling under load.
#2: M6, M6 Pro, M6 Max Chip
The new M6 chip family is expected to arrive later this year, but it’s unclear whether the MacBook Pro will be the first model to include them.
The M6 generation is expected to see bigger updates than usual, as it’s built on a new 2nm process and the iPhone’s A20 Pro chip also brings other advancements.
It’s unclear whether the M6 MacBook Pro launch will happen all at once or over multiple months like the M5 generation, but rumors suggest the former.
#3: First touchscreen on Mac
Macs are getting touch support. And the M6 MacBook Pro will be the first model with a touch screen.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is adding touch to Macs as a secondary input method, rather than a replacement for the keyboard or trackpad.
macOS 27 will be optimized to provide more touch-friendly controls that work well even for people without touch screens. Additionally, many of the standard touch gestures found in iOS and iPadOS will be supported.
#4: OLED display
Every iPhone now has an OLED display, and in 2024, the iPad Pro will also have a gorgeous tandem OLED. But Mac has been an outlier so far.
The M6 MacBook Pro will use OLED, making it the first Mac with the display technology.
OLEDs should deliver truer blacks, better contrast, and better off-angle viewing. That may be part of the reason Apple is able to make this new MacBook Pro thinner.
#5: Dynamic Island
The 2021 MacBook Pro was the first Mac to get a notch, but this redesigned M6 MacBook Pro eliminates that.
The new MacBook Pro is expected to have a hole-punch camera cutout instead of a notch, and a new software feature called Dynamic Island.
Similar to the iPhone, Dynamic Island offers both the ability to mask the camera cutout via software and the ability to provide new utilities to macOS.
It is expected that dynamic islands will be used for live activities, extending the current menu bar functionality.
Wildcard #6: C2 modem allows cellular option
Apple doesn’t yet offer Macs with cellular capabilities. But rumors say that could change soon.
In a late 2024 report on Apple’s internal cellular modem plans, Mark Gurman writes:
Apple is considering the idea of bringing cellular connectivity to Macs for the first time…but it’s unlikely that cellular connectivity will come to Macs before 2026, when Apple plans a second-generation modem that includes support for faster speeds.
To be sure, there’s no guarantee that this will be the year Macs go cellular. But the timing may be right, as Apple’s C2 modem will also arrive in the iPhone 18 Pro around the same time.
Which feature of the new M6 MacBook Pro are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.
best mac accessories
