Entry-Level MacBook Pro to Get New Design in Early 2027, Bloomberg Reports

Entry-Level MacBook Pro to Get New Design in Early 2027, Bloomberg Reports

Apple is preparing a redesigned entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, code-named K104, for as early as the first half of 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The base model will pick up the new design language just months after it debuts on the high-end MacBook Pros — a much shorter wait than in past cycles.

Entry-level MacBook Pro to adopt M7 in early 2027

Per Gurman's report, the K104 will run Apple's upcoming M7 chip and share the new design language with the premium models. For years, redesigns arrived on high-end MacBook Pros first and trickled down to the entry level far later. This time, the gap shrinks to roughly six months.

Before that arrives, Apple is expected to ship one last iteration of the current chassis: code-name J804, a 14-inch entry-level model launching in fall 2026 with the M6 chip and the existing design. It would serve as a short-lived stopgap before the redesign lands.

Punch-hole camera replaces the notch

The new design is expected to include a thinner chassis and OLED displays, with touchscreen support on the high-end models. Reports suggest the camera notch will give way to a punch-hole front camera, bringing the MacBook's look closer to the iPhone. The entry-level K104 is said to share the design language but likely skip the touchscreen.

The current MacBook Pro design dates back to the M1 Pro and M1 Max launch in fall 2021 and has carried through roughly five product generations nearly unchanged. After nearly five years, it looks increasingly stale.

Apple skips high-end M6 chips to fast-track M7

The chip schedule is the most unusual part. The redesigned high-end MacBook Pros, expected late this year or early next, are reportedly launching with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than M6 Pro and M6 Max — Apple has decided to skip the high-end M6 entirely and accelerate the M7 instead. It would be the first time Apple has bypassed a whole generation of Pro and Max chips.

The push is AI-driven. The M7 is expected to use TSMC's 2-nanometer process with an architecture optimized for on-device AI workloads and a target memory bandwidth of about 240 GB/s, versus roughly 200 GB/s on the M6 and 153 GB/s on the M5. Apple appears to be compressing a normal 12-month chip cadence into about six months to bring AI performance to the Mac line sooner.

What it means for buyers

Anyone shopping for an entry-level MacBook Pro now is likely buying on the eve of a redesign — the same price tier should get a new design and the M7 within months. Owners of M1-era machines also have reason to wait: the 2027 models would be the first major redesign in five years.

As always, these are reports, not confirmations. Apple does not comment on unreleased products, and product schedules can shift.

The timeline: fall 2026 to fall 2027

The schedule, per the reports: fall 2026 brings the entry-level M6 model (old design) plus the redesigned high-end models with M5 Pro/Max; the first half of 2027 brings the redesigned entry-level K104 with the M7; fall 2027 refreshes the high-end models with M7 Pro and M7 Max; and the M7 Ultra is not expected until 2028.

(Sources: reporting by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac, Digital Trends, MacRumors, Newsweek, The Next Web, and others)