Apple’s Mac lineup could receive another significant refresh in October 2026, with a new base-model MacBook Pro powered by the M6 chip and an updated 24-inch iMac expected to be among the company’s next hardware releases.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a refreshed base 14-inch MacBook Pro built around the M6 chip. The timing would fit Apple’s established pattern of introducing new Mac hardware during the latter part of the year.
The expected October products should not be confused with Apple’s more substantial MacBook Pro redesign that is also under development. Higher-end MacBook Pro models featuring OLED displays and M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected on a different schedule and could arrive between the end of 2026 and early 2027.
Base 14-Inch MacBook Pro Could Move to M6
The most notable product in the report is a refreshed base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple is expected to equip the machine with its next-generation M6 chip. The report does not point to a major redesign for this particular model, suggesting that the processor upgrade will be the central change.
This would position the standard 14-inch MacBook Pro differently from the more expensive professional models Apple is developing.
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Those higher-end machines are expected to feature OLED displays alongside M5 Pro and M5 Max processors rather than launching as M6 Pro and M6 Max systems at the same time as the base model.
macOS 27.1 Testing Provides a Clue to Timing
Software development offers another clue about Apple’s hardware schedule.
Gurman previously reported that Apple was testing the new laptops with macOS 27.1. The software update is scheduled to reach consumers near the end of October.
Testing unreleased Macs with that version of macOS supports the possibility that Apple is targeting the same general period for the new hardware.
It would also allow the company to ship the machines with software designed to recognize and support their new hardware configurations from launch.
Higher-End OLED MacBook Pros Expected Separately
Apple’s upcoming high-end MacBook Pro lineup appears to be following a different development timetable.
These models are expected to introduce OLED display technology to the MacBook Pro family and use M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
Their release window currently stretches from the end of 2026 into early 2027.
The separation is significant because it means consumers could see a base MacBook Pro carrying an M6 chip while more expensive models continue with higher-performance variants of the M5 generation.
The OLED models are also expected to represent a more substantial hardware evolution than the M6 base model because changing display technology would affect one of the MacBook Pro’s most important components.
24-Inch iMac Could Get M5 or M6
Apple’s all-in-one desktop is also expected to receive an update.
The next 24-inch iMac is reportedly likely to replace the current M4 model with either an M5 or M6 processor.
It remains unclear which chip Apple will ultimately choose.
Regardless of the processor, the upcoming iMac is not expected to receive a major industrial-design overhaul. The update therefore appears likely to focus primarily on internal hardware.
That approach would allow Apple to improve performance while retaining the thin 24-inch form factor and overall design language of the current iMac.
OLED iMac Is Still Several Years Away
Apple is also reportedly developing a 24-inch iMac equipped with an OLED display.
That machine is not expected to arrive with the upcoming refresh.
Instead, the OLED iMac remains a longer-term project and is believed to be several years away from release.
This means buyers waiting for the next iMac should expect an evolutionary update based around a newer Apple Silicon processor rather than a transition to OLED display technology.
October Could Become Apple’s Next Major Mac Window
An October launch would fit Apple’s historical tendency to reserve part of the fall product cycle for Mac announcements.
The most immediate changes are expected to center on the base 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac, while the OLED MacBook Pro lineup follows on a separate timetable.
For prospective MacBook Pro buyers, that distinction is particularly important. The expected M6 base model appears to be primarily a processor refresh, whereas the upcoming high-end OLED machines could bring a much more visible generational change to Apple’s professional notebook family.
