M6 MacBook Pro: Six new features are coming later this year

Apple has a new M6 MacBook Pro rumored to launch later this year with a complete design overhaul. Here are six new features to expect with the M6 ​​MacBook Pro.

#1: New slimmer, lighter design

The MacBook Pro design was last changed in 2021, but rumors indicate that the next redesign is coming later this year.

Bloomberg it calls it a “total redesign” that’s thinner and lighter than the current model.

There’s no word yet on whether the ports will be affected, but I’d be surprised if Apple pushes the ‘thin, light’ angle too far this time. All signs indicate that it has learned its lesson after the problematic pre-2021 design. And of course the enclosure still needs to be thick enough to cool sufficiently under load.

#2: M6, M6 Pro, M6 Max chips

A new family of M6 chips is coming later this year, although it’s unclear whether the MacBook Pro will be the first model to include them or not.

We expect bigger updates than usual with the M6 ​​generation, as it is built on the new 2nm process and other improvements that come with the iPhone’s A20 Pro chip.

It is not clear whether the release of the M6 ​​MacBook Pro will happen at the same time, or will be separated by several months as was the case with the M5 generation, but rumors point to the former.

#3: Touchscreen, a Mac first

The Mac is getting touch support. And the M6 ​​MacBook Pro will be the first model with a touchscreen.

According to Mark Gurman, Apple added touch to the Mac as a secondary input method—not to replace the keyboard and trackpad.

macOS 27 will be improved to offer touch controls that work well for anyone without a touch screen. And most of the standard gestures available on iOS and iPadOS are expected to be supported.

#4: OLED display

Every iPhone now has an OLED display, and the iPad Pro gained a beautiful tandem OLED in 2024 as well. But the Mac has been on the outside—until now.

The M6 ​​MacBook Pro is set to adopt OLED, the first Mac to feature display technology.

OLED should offer truer blacks, better contrast, and better viewing angles. It may also be part of why Apple would make this new MacBook Pro thinner.

#5: Dynamic Island

The 2021 MacBook Pro was the first Mac to get a notch, and this redesigned M6 MacBook Pro will end it.

Instead of a notch, the new MacBook Pro is expected to have a hole-punch camera and get a new software feature: Dynamic Island.

As in the iPhone, Dynamic Island will work both to close the camera cutout with software, and to provide new support in macOS.

Expect to see Dynamic Island used for Live Actions, extending the current menu bar feature.

Wildcard #6: The cellular option is possible with a C2 modem

Apple has yet to offer a Mac with cellular. But rumors suggest that may soon change.

In a recent 2024 report on Apple’s cellular modem plans, Mark Gurman wrote:

Apple is investigating the idea of ​​bringing cellular connectivity to the Mac for the first time…But cellular connectivity is unlikely to come to the Mac before 2026, when Apple plans a second-generation modem that includes support for faster speeds.

There is no guarantee that this is the year the Mac gains mobile. But with Apple’s C2 modem coming to the iPhone 18 Pro at the same time, the timing could be right.

What new features of the M6 ​​MacBook Pro are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.

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