For years, even the most loyal Mac fans have had to accept a few “buts.” The MacBook Pro is the best pro laptop—but it doesn’t have 5G. The MacBook Air is portable—but it’s not truly “budget” compared to a Chromebook.
According to the latest rumors, 2026 is the year Apple finally stops making excuses. With a massive “Apple Experience” event set for March 4 in New York, London, and Shanghai, the roadmap for the next 12 months suggests a total overhaul of the Mac’s identity. Here are the four major breakthroughs we expect to see.
What We Expect to See
1. The $599 MacBook: Crashing the Entry-Level Party
The most persistent rumor heading into the March 4 event is the debut of a truly affordable MacBook. For a decade, the “budget” option was simply buying an older Air at a discount. That changes now.
Apple is reportedly ready to launch a 12.9-inch MacBook aimed squarely at the education and Chromebook markets. To hit a price point as low as $599, Apple is expected to use the A18 Pro or A19 Pro chips from the iPhone line. While it may have fewer ports and an LCD screen, it will offer enough power for 90% of students and casual users, finally giving Apple a foothold in the sub-$700 market.
2. Ultra Retina XDR: The Tandem OLED Era
While the 2021 transition to mini-LED was a giant leap, it’s no longer the gold standard. Taking a cue from the M4 iPad Pro, the upcoming M6 Pro and M6 Max MacBook Pros are rumored to adopt Ultra Retina XDR displays.
By using tandem OLED technology (stacking two OLED layers), Apple can finally deliver the deep blacks of a smartphone with the 1,000-nit sustained brightness required for professional HDR workflows—all while allowing the display assembly to be significantly thinner.
3. The Touchscreen Revolution (20 Years in the Making)
The biggest “Finally!” of 2026 is undoubtedly the touchscreen. Marking the 20th anniversary of the MacBook Pro, Apple is reportedly planning a flagship redesign for late this year.
Despite Steve Jobs’ famous “gorilla arm” dismissal years ago, the success of iPadOS has changed the landscape. We expect a thinner chassis, a “hole-punch” camera to replace the notch, and a display that finally responds to your fingertips. It won’t replace the trackpad, but for creative pros who want to reach out and manipulate their canvas, the wait is almost over.
4. Built-in 5G: The Death of the Hotspot
It has long been a head-scratcher: why can an iPad stay connected anywhere, but a “Pro” laptop can’t? Tethering to an iPhone is a battery-draining stopgap, not a solution.
With the development of Apple’s homegrown C2 cellular modem, the M6 MacBook Pro line is expected to feature integrated 5G (including mmWave support). This marks a major shift toward true mobile productivity, allowing pros to move large files on the go without worrying about public Wi-Fi or tethering limits.
