Grab your wallets and your emotional support dongles, because the rumor mill is churning again.
Apple is reportedly prepping a MacBook Pro refresh for later this year, and the leaks suggest the company is finally addressing the complaint that's been simmering since 2021.
According to the usual supply-chain whisperers, the new 14- and 16-inch models could swap the controversial camera cutout for a punch-hole design.
For the uninitiated, that's the little floating circle you see on basically every Android phone from the last five years.
Apple inventing it in 2025 and calling it "revolutionary" would be the most on-brand move in tech history.
The notch has been the internet's favorite punching bag since it debuted, yet somehow millions of people bought the laptops anyway.
Turns out a slightly weird screen bezel doesn't matter much when the battery lasts through a transatlantic flight and the fans barely spin up.
But sure, let's pretend this is the fix we've all been waiting for.
The bigger question is what's happening under the hood.
The M-series chips have been embarrassingly good, to the point where the previous generation is still overkill for 90% of buyers.
If Apple trots out an M5 or whatever they're calling it, expect benchmark charts that make gaming laptops weep and a price tag that makes your credit card file a restraining order.
Every MacBook refresh triggers the same ritual: people who bought last year's model suddenly discover it's "unusable," and people with 2015 Macs insist they'll upgrade "when Apple fixes the keyboard." Buddy, the keyboard got fixed.
You're just cheap, and honestly, respect.
There's also chatter about OLED displays finally making the jump from the iPad Pro.
That would be a genuine upgrade for anyone doing color-critical work, though it'll probably add a few hundred bucks to the sticker price.
Apple doesn't do "free" anything unless it's a U2 album you didn't ask for.
For most Americans, the practical advice is boring: if you need a laptop now, buy one now.
The current MacBook Pro is a fantastic machine, and waiting six months for a punch-hole camera is a weird reason to suffer through your dying Dell.
If you can wait and you've got the budget, the refresh will likely be great.
If Apple adds back something useful and then removes something else for no reason, we'll know the timeline is intact.
Rumor has it they're considering a return of the headphone jack just to mess with everyone.
That's not true, but admit it, you felt a little hope. **The Verdict:** This refresh will probably be excellent and also completely unnecessary for most people, which is the most Apple sentence ever written.
Final Thoughts
Buy it if your current laptop is held together by hope and thermal paste, skip it if you just want the shiny new thing.