Apple’s Redesigned MacBook Pro Expected Oct. 28 Without Performance Boost

The hardware changes described by 9to5Mac include a new industrial design, a significantly lighter and slightly thinner body, an OLED display, a touchscreen, Dynamic Island and no notch. The report also lists a possible C2 cellular modem as a wildcard feature. If those changes arrive, they would cover design, display and input while leaving chip performance unchanged.

The performance issue is central because the MacBook Pro is positioned as a high-performance laptop. According to the report, Apple is skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max chips altogether and fast-tracking M7 Pro and M7 Max chips for 2027. As a result, the new MacBook Pro would offer no speed increase over the current M5 Pro and M5 Max models, despite the redesign.

9to5Mac also raised the possibility that the new model could start at about $2,999, given the existing price of the MacBook Pro and the premium likely to come with the redesign. At that price, buyers would be paying for a new design, display and other features rather than faster chips, the report said.

The report questions how Apple will pitch the new laptop to prospective upgraders, including professional users who passed on the M5 Pro and M5 Max earlier this year. It says it remains to be seen whether those users will be persuaded by the redesign alone. The article asks readers how likely they are to upgrade.