MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) in use in a studio
(Image credit: Future)
A leaked roadmap says Apple will ditch the MacBook Pro’s notch in 2026
The 2026 MacBook Pro will also get an OLED screen, multiple sources claim
The roadmap leaks data for many other upcoming Apple products
The MacBook Pro’s notch – the black pill-shaped cutout at the top of the laptop’s screen – is a necessary annoyance that houses the cameras and sensors that are required for the device’s webcam. But it looks like it’s on the way out, with a leaked roadmap suggesting that Apple will replace it with a circular holepunch-style silhouette as soon as 2026.
That information comes from leaker Jukanlosreve on X, who claims to have sourced the detail from industry analysts Omdia. It was revealed as part of a product roadmap that predicts a range of changes coming to Apple’s best MacBooks and iPads over the next few years.
When it comes to the MacBook Pro, the roadmap predicts it will offer options with 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch displays (up from the current 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch sizes). These screens will apparently have rounded corners and a “Hole Cut.”
That might seem like a mysterious detail, but it makes a lot more sense when you compare it to the MacBook Air, which the roadmap says will have a “Notch Cut” on its display.
In other words, the “Hole Cut” reference is talking about the notch – which will seemingly be replaced by a hole-shaped cutout in the future.
Exciting changes on the horizon
Apple MacBook Pro 14 M4 (2024) REVIEW
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
This MacBook Pro depicted in the roadmap will reportedly arrive in 2026 and will also feature a Tandem OLED display, much like the current iPad Pro. The use of this panel type in the iPad Pro allowed Apple to offer better screen performance and slim down the device at the same time, so there’s hope that Apple might be able to bring similar changes to the MacBook Pro.
In fact, that idea mirrors reports from elsewhere (including from Omdia), which have claimed that the OLED MacBook Pro will see a significant redesign when it lands in 2026. Apple hasn’t overhauled the MacBook Pro’s aesthetic since 2021 and typically waits four or five years between redesigns, so the MacBook Pro is due for a new look.
The roadmap leaked by Jukanlosreve contained some other interesting tidbits. It alleges that an iPad Air with OLED display will launch in 2027, for example, and that Apple will release its long-awaited foldable device the following year. If the roadmap is to be believed, there are a lot of enticing Apple products just over the horizon.
That said, we have to take Jukanlosreve’s word that this roadmap is genuine and accurate. But some of the details have been backed up by other reliable sources. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has also touted 2026 for the launch of the redesigned OLED MacBook Pro, while display industry analyst Ross Young agreed with almost all of the roadmap’s details.
Both Gurman and Young have very strong track records when it comes to Apple leaks and predictions, which lends weight to Omdia’s roadmap. Nothing is guaranteed, but if you’ve been waiting to finally be rid of the MacBook Pro’s notch, 2026 could be the date to mark in your calendar.
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Freelance Contributor
Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.