The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros include entirely new designs and a new chassis, and one improvement of the newer chassis compared to its predecessor is improved thermals.
Apple says that the new thermal system in its latest high-end MacBooks is capable of moving 50% more air at lower fan speeds. While the new thermal design is greatly improved, the efficiency of the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips mean that for most customers, the "fans never turn on" for tasks done daily, according to Apple.
Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, touted during this week Apple's event that the new chassis was designed with an "intense focus on performance and utility." The new MacBook Pros are "precisely machined around an advanced thermal system," he added. All in all, the new thermal architecture allows the new MacBook Pros to maintain high performance over more extended periods, without overheating or requiring the fans to turn on at higher speeds.
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, both configurable with the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, are currently available for pre-order and will begin shipping to customers next week. Catch up on everything you need to know about these new MacBook Pros using our roundup.
Monday August 10, 2026 1:51 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is likely to unveil a new M6 MacBook Pro and refreshed iMacs in October, based on its typical release schedule, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman reiterated his belief that Apple is readying the launch of a refreshed base-model MacBook Pro with a 14-inch display powered by an M6 chip.
The base model is expected...
Tuesday August 25, 2026 4:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Reports and rumors suggest the next high-end MacBook Pro that Apple will release might not be a MacBook Pro at all. It could actually be something altogether new and more exciting – a "MacBook Ultra" – marketed as the company's top-tier laptop offering. The device is likely to sit above the current M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, rather than replace them, suggesting that they will remain on...
Tuesday September 1, 2026 12:34 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
As noted by Broadcasts developer Steven Troughton-Smith, many Liquid Glass interface elements on the macOS Golden Gate beta have an even glassier appearance on certain high-end OLED displays with HDR support than they do on ordinary displays.
Apple reportedly plans to release new MacBook Pro or "MacBook Ultra" models with an OLED display by early 2027, so it is likely that macOS Golden Gate...
I will gladly accept a slightly thicker laptop if it means more efficient cooling system. Less noise when under load and totally silent when under typical normal web surfing. I would even love it if there was a setting that allowed you to say run efficient and keep fans off but throttle speed if necessary. Anytime it is throttling because of temp and keeping fans off if it could give an indicator it could help you know your settings are why it might be running slow. And when I say setting I mean a real easy to toggle setting too. I can hardly wait for my new 16 Pro to get here in a month.
It's silly, but one of my favorite things about Macs is the low fan noise. My work-issued (and top-of-the-line) PC laptop is a great machine, but I can't stand how the fan comes on noisily and regularly. I've always appreciated that Apple is tuned in to this part of the user experience.
