If the rumor mill is to be believed, 2026 will feature an unusually large harvest of Apple products. This is shaping up to be a standout year for MacBooks, and we might be only a week or two away from seeing the first new models.
The MacBook Pro is lined up to be the first MacBook update of the year, with Apple bringing the higher-powered M5 Pro and M5 Max chips to both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro lines later this month or in March. Then Apple could move to the other end of the spectrum and release its rumored $599 budget MacBook. Also in the first half of the year, the MacBook Air is likely to receive an M5 chip refresh. And before the year is out, we could see the first MacBook Pros with OLED touchscreens.
So, yes, the internet is awash in MacBook rumors. Let's take a closer look at the timing, pricing and details of the MacBook refreshes expected this year.
The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro released in October, so we're expecting the rest of the lineup very soon. Apple/CNET
M5 Pro and M5 Max updates for the MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro was the first MacBook to receive Apple's latest M5 processor when the 14-inch MacBook Pro was released last October. Now, Apple is expected to extend its M5 offerings and bring the higher-powered M5 Pro and M5 Max chips to the MacBook Pro.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is still waiting for its M5 update and should also get M5 Pro and M5 Max chips at the same time as its smaller Pro sibling.
CNET's Lori Grunin tested the M5 chip and noted that it delivers big performance improvements over the M4 "in the narrow areas where it applies, namely on-GPU processing for AI and ray-traced graphics." Still, the M5 MacBook Pro struggles to keep up with the world of AAA gaming.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max processors will likely follow in the footsteps of previous M-series Pro and Max chips, featuring additional CPU and GPU cores and higher memory allotments.
MacBook Pro models with these high-end chips come at higher prices geared toward processing-intensive tasks like video rendering, 3D modeling and AI workloads. If pricing remains stable, which isn't a sure bet with the worldwide RAM shortage, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip will likely start at $1,999 and the 16-inch Pro with an M5 Pro will likely start at $2,499.
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