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.
Internet speculation has given way to more concrete evidence of these MacBook releases, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman cites internal Apple communications that reveal "a remarkably busy 2026 with a slew of product releases over the next several weeks."
According to Gurman, the M5 refreshes for the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air could be just around the corner, and the budget MacBook might not be far behind. Let's take a closer look at the timing, pricing and details of the MacBook refreshes expected this year.
The reported 2026 MacBook release timeline
While the rumors swirl about the MacBook releases expected this year, we don't have exact dates for when the new models will be announced. From what I've gathered online, here's my best guess of when we might see new MacBooks this year.
February or March: M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, M5 MacBook Air
M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, M5 MacBook Air First half of 2026: Budget MacBook (estimated price of $599)
Budget MacBook (estimated price of $599) Second half of 2026: Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro
Read on for a closer look at the timing, pricing and details of the MacBook refreshes expected this year.
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