MacBook Pro timeline includes a redesigned entry level model you might want to hold out for

Apple is said to be holding an event on 27 October where it will introduce its latest MacBook models. That's thought to include the touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro, known colloquially as the MacBook Ultra.

But that's not the end of Apple's plans. In what seems to be a slightly confusing timeline, we're going to see a number of new MacBook models over the coming months and it's a launch process that differs from previous Apple updates.

According to numerous sources, there is going to be new technology, a new design and new chips introduced, but that isn't going to happen in the way you expect it.

So far in 2026 we've seen the MacBook Pro updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max, but sticking to the existing design. At the event on 27 October, we're expecting to see a change in the design for the MacBook Ultra – the model with the OLED touchscreen.

New design for MacBook Pro OLED in October

That design of the high-end OLED model is said to be thinner and lighter, with a Dynamic Island feature like the iPhone, along with a version of macOS Golden Gate that accommodates touch. It's thought this model will launch on the Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

At the same event, we're expecting to see an updated MacBook Pro 14-inch with the M6 chip, but sticking to the older design – i.e., it's a replacement for the MacBook Pro M5 that launched in October 2025.

However, this updated model should be approached with caution, because it has been suggested that in spring 2027, Apple will introduce new entry-level MacBook Pro models using the new design as well as the M7 chip.

That might mean that the MacBook Pro M6 is a little short-lived, very much an incremental stop-gap before the new hardware appears.

A shift towards spring 2027

This points to a couple of anomalies. The first is the strategy for the M6 chip. We've so far we've seen it in the Mac mini and it's thought to be coming to the MacBook Pro I mentioned above, an updated iMac and then potentially updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models in 2027.

But the M6 is not thought to get Pro or Max versions. Instead, Apple is going to skip a generation, giving a full selection of M7 chip variants in 2027 instead.

The second anomaly is the speed in which Apple will move lower-level MacBooks over to the new MacBook design. It seems that the company will be using the new design in MacBooks from 2027, making it more accessible, where often we'd expect a delay of a couple of years.

This might be because the MacBook Ultra (or MacBook Pro OLED) is expected to sell for around $3,000, which is well beyond the means of many buyers.

Updating the design for more affordable MacBook models might encourage buyers who would otherwise just stick to their existing model.

We can expect a flurry of announcements, the introduction of a new design and OLED touchscreen to the MacBook in the coming weeks, but it's potentially 2027 that will be more important for everyday MacBook buyers.