MacBook Pro OLED: Apple sticking with M5 Pro and Max chips at first, M7 chips in 2027

Apple's big MacBook Pro overhaul might not get Apple's next-gen chips after all

(Credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

• 💻 Apple is sticking to the M5 Pro and Max chips for the upcoming MacBook Pro

• ⚙️ A new report claims that the rumored M6 Pro and Max chips will be skipped

• 🚀 Instead, Apple will release M7-equipped MacBook Pros later next year

• 📅 A baseline M6-equipped MacBook Pro is expected next year

• 📐 The high-end MacBook Pro will reportedly have an OLED touchscreen and a slimmer profile

Apple is expected to release a redesigned version of the MacBook Pro with a touchscreen later this year, but one key component won’t be changing: the chips.

Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says that Apple will stick to the current-generation M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for the next MacBook Pro, skipping the rumored M6 Pro and M6 Max. Those chips were cancelled, says Gurman, with Apple’s focus now on developing more powerful M7 Pro and Max chips for greater AI performance.

• More: Apple hikes prices of iPad, Mac, and more as RAM and component costs soar

The shake-up comes as Apple raises the prices of many of its products in response to severe component shortages. The Mac line was a prime subject for the higher prices, with the MacBook Neo going from $599 to $699, the MacBook Pro jumping to $1,999 instead of $1,699, and the Mac Studio going up as high as an extra $1,300 for certain configurations.

While it’s not confirmed that higher costs are to blame for sticking with M5-level chips for the upcoming MacBook Pro, it seems like that’s likely the case given that Apple won’t need to pour extra research and development into it.

Gurman says that while the new MacBook Pro is on track to ship later this year or early next year, Apple is planning to ship an even better version of the laptop with M7 Pro and Max chips by the end of 2027. If you’ve been waiting for a MacBook with even more performance than what the M5 Max can deliver, it sounds like you’ll want to wait until late next year to upgrade.

For everyone else, the next MacBook Pro sounds like it’ll still be a killer device. The laptop is expected to be the first MacBook with an OLED touchscreen, something that didn’t seem like it would ever happen just a few years ago. It’ll be a bit thinner than the current-gen MacBook Pro, it’s expected to keep the same IO like HDMI and full SD card support, and it could come with a Dynamic Island that’ll spring to life when you summon Siri in macOS 27.

Meanwhile, Gurman also says we can expect a new entry-level MacBook Pro powered by the new M6 chip. It could arrive later this year, around the same time as the high-end MacBook Pro. It’s not clear if any sort of redesign is in tow, but at least we’ll get a new chip. Gurman says the processor will deliver better graphics and AI performance than the M5.

• Up next: Steam Frame release date may be just weeks away, insider claims

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Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.