Apple Likely to Launch Three New MacBook Models In Early 2026

Apple is expected to kick off 2026 with a major Mac refresh, bringing three new MacBook models in the first half of the year as it pushes its next-generation M5 chips across the lineup. Reports based on leaked internal identifiers and supply-chain chatter suggest the company will introduce new 14‑inch and 16‑inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max, alongside refreshed 13‑inch and 15‑inch MacBook Air models powered by the base M5 and a brand-new 12.9-inch low-cost MacBook. The launch window is expected to be in the February–March timeframe.​

What the three new MacBooks are likely to be

Most reports converge on three Mac notebook families in early 2026, with at least three distinct MacBook models (and multiple chip tiers) in the first wave:

MacBook Pro (M5 Pro / M5 Max): A spec-bump refresh over the current M4 Pro/Max generation, focused on CPU/GPU gains, faster SSDs, and more memory bandwidth rather than an all‑new chassis.​ It will be available in both 14-inch and 16-inch models, with the latter expected to follow the same pattern. That means internal upgrades on the existing design, with a bigger redesign and OLED/touchscreen roadmap pushed to late 2026 or 2027.​

MacBook Air (13‑inch and 15‑inch, M5): Apple is tipped to refresh both Air sizes with the base M5 chip, keeping the current thin-and-light design but improving performance and efficiency, again in early 2026.​

Low-cost MacBook: Apple is widely expected to launch a low-cost MacBook to make inroads into the budget segment, currently dominated by Google's Chromebooks and some Windows PCs. This model may use an iPhone Pro's chip, feature a 12.9-inch screen, and have the same design as the MacBook Air.

In some reports, the Pros and Airs are grouped as a broader “MacBook lineup refresh” in early 2026, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and follow‑on analyses suggest the Pro machines land first in the spring window, with M5 Air models also targeted for the same half of the year rather than late 2026.​

Chips and performance: what to expect from M5

M5 Pro and M5 Max: The new high‑end MacBook Pro chips are expected to extend Apple’s trajectory of more performance per watt, with higher core counts, beefier GPUs, and improved Neural Engine capability tuned for on‑device AI workloads. Early commentary points to faster memory interfaces and SSD throughput, but no radical change in port layout or screen options.​

M5 (MacBook Air): The base M5, coming off Apple’s iPhone‑class A‑series advances, should give the Air a meaningful uplift over current M4/M3‑class Airs, especially in multi‑core productivity, light creative work, and AI features Apple is weaving into macOS Tahoe and beyond.​

Design: mostly familiar, big redesign later

Leaked identifiers and analyst reports consistently say these early‑2026 MacBooks will keep the current industrial design:

• Same 14‑ and 16‑inch Pro chassis with mini‑LED displays, notch, and port layout (MagSafe, HDMI, SD, Thunderbolt).
• Same 13‑ and 15‑inch Air designs with fanless, wedge‑lite bodies and LCD panels, with no OLED yet.

A more dramatic MacBook Pro redesign, with thinner and lighter bodies, OLED screens, and possibly touch input, is being positioned for late 2026 or 2027, not for this early‑2026 cycle.​

Where the rumoured low‑cost MacBook fits

Separately, Apple is also said to be working on an all‑new, low‑cost MacBook powered by an A18 Pro‑class chip, targeting a price band below today’s MacBook Air (roughly $699–$899). That machine is likewise tipped for early 2026, which, if it materialises, would make it the third distinct MacBook family joining the refreshed Pro and Air lines in that window. Pricing pressure and design compromises (simpler display, 8 GB RAM, fewer ports) are expected to keep it clearly below the Air.

Read more: Poor iPhone Air Sales A Lesson: Chinese Smartphone Brands Reportedly Cancel Slim Phone Plans