Even before its newest touchscreen MacBooks have settled on store shelves, Apple is already mapping out the next phase. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the tech giant is planning major internal improvements for its touchscreen MacBook Pro lineup.
The report states that the company will skip over the M6 Pro and M6 Max chip generations entirely. Instead, Apple will move directly to M7 Pro and M7 Max chips, designed specially to handle advanced AI workloads. The high-end laptops featuring these chips are slated to arrive in late 2027.
New 14-inch model and current specs
Apple is also planning an entry-level 14-inch M7 MacBook Pro. This machine will feature a thinner, lighter body and the slimmer bezels seen on recently introduced higher-end editions.
The current touchscreen MacBook Pro editions were announced on October 28 in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. Powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max processors with up to 24 hours of battery life, they feature a tandem OLED PROLED XDR display, Dynamic Island, and support gestures like pinching, swiping, and dragging.
“thinner, lighter design and slimmer bezels introduced on the higher-end versions this past week.”Mark Gurman
Potential lineup merger
Handling two parallel high-end MacBook Pro setups might cause logistical headaches. As Gurman points out, managing separate engineering, production, and marketing for both could be tricky, especially since their price tags may end up quite similar.
Because of this, Apple might ultimately merge the two lineups down the track to simplify its laptop range.
What happens next
Apple might eventually bring the two MacBook Pro lineups together to simplify its portfolio.
