The Mac Roadmap for Late 2026: What Is Coming, and When
Apple's September event is expected to be an iPhone and Watch show, but the more interesting story for Mac buyers is what reporting says arrives afterward: the first 2-nanometer Macs this fall, and the biggest MacBook Pro redesign in five years right behind them. Here is the roadmap, model by model.
Sourcing note: this is a synthesis of supply-chain reporting and credible Apple journalism as of late August 2026. Apple has confirmed none of it. Timelines in this cycle have been unusually fluid because of industry-wide memory shortages, so treat every window below as an expectation, not a promise.
Where the Lineup Stands Today
Quick orientation, because this year's lineup is more scattered across generations than usual. The MacBook Air (13-inch from $1,299, 15-inch from $1,499) and the MacBook Pro (from $1,999) are on M5-family chips. The Mac mini (from $799) and the iMac (from $1,499) are still on M4. The Mac Studio is on M4 Max. And the $699 MacBook Neo runs the iPhone-derived A18 chip.
Fall 2026: The M6 14-inch MacBook Pro
The entry 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to jump straight to the M6, one of Apple's first chips on the new 2-nanometer process. Reporting expects no display or design changes: same chassis, meaningfully more efficient silicon. If the pattern of recent base-chip updates holds, the price should stay at or near the current $1,999.
Notably, the M6 is expected to arrive in the base MacBook Pro before anywhere else. If you were eyeing the base 14-inch M5 right now, this is the one place on the roadmap where waiting a few months buys you a full chip generation.
Fall 2026: The M6 iMac
The 24-inch iMac is expected to get the same M6 treatment: new chip, same design it has carried since 2021's shape was refined in 2024. The iMac skipped the M5 generation entirely, so current M4 models (from $1,499) are the ones to watch for clearance discounts once the M6 lands. Our refurbished iMac guide covers the value math on previous-generation iMacs.
Late 2026 or Early 2027: The OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
The headliner. Apple is reported to be preparing redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with OLED displays and, for the first time on a Mac, touchscreens. The window in reporting spans late 2026 to early 2027, with several reporters leaning toward early 2027 because of component supply.
Two details matter for buyers. First, these are expected to run M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, not M6-family ones: reporting says Apple is skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max entirely to pull its AI-focused M7 generation forward. The chips inside the redesigned machines will be the same family you can buy today. Second, every report expects them to cost meaningfully more than the current models, which start at $2,499 for the 14-inch M5 Pro.
Translation: the redesign is a reason to wait only if you want OLED and touch. It is not a performance wait, and it will not be a value play at launch.
Timing Unclear: Mac mini and Mac Studio
The Mac mini is reported to be getting M5 Pro and M6 variants, and the Mac Studio is expected to move to M5 Max and M5 Ultra, but neither has a firm window in current reporting. The industry-wide memory shortage keeps getting cited as the reason timing is fluid.
The mini is the awkward one: it is the oldest current Mac by generation, it took a price increase to $799 in Apple's June reset, and it rarely discounts. If you need one now, buy it for what it is; if you can wait, the mini is the Mac most obviously due for a refresh. See our Mac mini buying guide.
2027 and Beyond, Briefly
- MacBook Air M6: expected early 2027, both sizes. The M5 Air you buy today is not about to be obsoleted this year.
- MacBook Neo refresh: an A19 Pro version with more memory is reported for 2027.
- M7 MacBook Pro: the classic-design 14-inch is expected to get M7 in early 2027, with M7 Pro and Max versions of the OLED design further out.
- OLED MacBook Air and iMac: on the roadmap for 2028 or later. Not worth planning around.
The One-Paragraph Takeaway
Wait if you want the base 14-inch MacBook Pro or an iMac, because M6 versions are expected within months. Wait only for the right reasons on the high-end MacBook Pro: the OLED redesign brings a new screen and a higher price, not a new chip family. Buy the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro M5 Pro and Max, MacBook Neo, and Mac Studio with confidence today, ideally below list. The Mac mini is a judgment call: fine to buy, most likely to be refreshed.
Bottom Line
For the full model-by-model buying advice with current street prices, read the companion piece: Should You Buy a Mac Now or Wait? And for what September itself holds, see our September 2026 event preview.