Apple reportedly imagines the most expensive iPad Pro models are good enough that they don’t demand a major overhaul or any other feature that helps them stand out from past models.
Apple is planning for an iPad Pro refresh slated for early next year, according to Bloomberg’s resident Apple leaker Mark Gurman. Bloomberg’s report notes there could be four such models available, though it’s not as if you’re going to see more sizes beyond the standard 11- and 13-inch tablets. The best we can hope for is improved cooling via an internal vapor chamber, which Gurman suggested could be part of the upcoming launch in October last year.
These next-gen “Pro”-level tablets will likely make use of Apple’s upcoming M6 chip. Expect that Apple’s next processor will be tuned even more toward AI processing to better facilitate the new AI-enabled Siri.
Modern-day Apple tends to stick with what works for longer than many other companies. The tandem OLED iPad Pro, first introduced in 2024 with the M4 chip, is the company’s thinnest and most powerful tablet on offer. Plus, it packs the pretty organic light-emitting diode display for excellent contrast. That tablet left us jonesing for a MacBook with a similarly pretty display.
The rumor mill strongly suggests we’ll finally have a chance to see an OLED MacBook with a touchscreen later this year. However, the “MacBook Ultra,” or whatever it’s called, may only support current-gen processors, namely the M5 Pro and M5 Max, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
Apple’s entire release schedule is hindered by the ongoing RAM crisis. Apple is still trying to mitigate the fallout of massive price hikes among the company’s Macs, iPads, HomePods, Apple TVs, and more. We may only see an entry-level MacBook Pro this year sporting a newfangled M6 chip. Bloomberg claims we won’t see another “Pro” or “Max” chip until 2027, when Apple unveils its more-powerful M7 lineup.
MacBook Pro models haven’t seen a major overhaul in more than half a decade. Gurman’s slate of anonymous sources suggests Apple may finally redesign the entry-level MacBook Pro with the same design language as its OLED MacBook. We still don’t know exactly what that entails or whether that means the non-touchscreen MacBook will get extra features like the rumored Dynamic Island Apple first popularized on iPhones.
Apple has other reasons to redesign a base-level MacBook. The single fan on the base-level 14-inch MacBook Pro models led to thermal throttling issues on the M5 version. Apple would need to redesign its thermals to ensure its Macs push its chips as far as they can go. We’ll just have to wait until 2027 to find for ourselves whether it can push its designs forward.
