Apple's MacBook Pro lineup has been coasting on a familiar formula for years: faster chips, brighter screens, and a notch that nobody asked for.
But a growing pile of supply chain chatter suggests the next refresh might finally kill the one design choice that's been annoying users since 2021.
Multiple display-industry analysts have pointed to Apple testing under-panel camera technology for future MacBooks, which would let Cupertino ditch the notch entirely and shrink the bezels to a razor's edge.
That's a structural redesign of the most visible part of the machine.
Because the current MacBook Pro's notch is a constant, low-grade irritation.
And for a laptop that starts north of $1,600, "you'll get used to it" was never a great sales pitch.
Apple's M-series chips have been iterating fast, and the next generation is expected to push harder on on-device AI.
A camera hidden beneath the display isn't just an aesthetic flex; it frees up internal space and pairs with features like Center Stage and Face ID-style authentication.
If Apple can pull off a genuinely invisible camera, it's the kind of leap that makes the previous model feel ancient overnight.
But here's where the hype train usually derails.
Under-display cameras have a reputation problem.
Every phone maker that's tried them has shipped a worse camera than the hole-punch alternative, because shooting through pixels degrades image quality.
Apple is notoriously slow to ship anything that isn't polished, so a 2026 or 2027 window is more realistic than a surprise drop this fall.
Anyone telling you to hold off buying a MacBook right now is guessing.
The smarter read is this: the next refresh is worth watching, not necessarily worth waiting for.
If you need a laptop today, the current M4 Pro and M4 Max models are genuinely excellent machines with years of life in them.
If you can wait a year, the redesign chatter suggests a real generational jump rather than another incremental nudge.
What's really happening here is Apple responding to pressure it usually ignores.
Windows laptops have been shipping OLED displays, thinner bezels, and convertible form factors for a while, and the MacBook Pro's design has started to look conservative by comparison.
A notch-free redesign would be Apple admitting its rivals had a point.
The refresh will likely also bring OLED panels to the MacBook Pro for the first time, according to the same analyst circles.
Combine OLED, thinner bezels, and a next-gen M chip, and you've got the most substantial MacBook Pro overhaul since the switch away from Intel.
Our take: this is the rare Apple rumor that's actually about something users feel every day, not just benchmark bragging rights.
If the notch finally disappears, it'll be remembered as the moment Apple cleaned up its own mess.
Final Thoughts
Until then, treat the timeline with skepticism and your wallet with patience.