Apple's rumored second MacBook Pro release in 2026 is getting closer to reality, with production of the M6 chips and OLED display set to start within months.

The rumor mill firmly believes that Apple will be bringing out a second MacBook Pro update in 2026, with an OLED screen accompanying the M6 chip. Work is being carried out to produce both of the core components, ahead of each item's summer mass production.

The OLED screen, arguably the main reason for the update, will be produced by long-time supply chain partner Samsung Display, reports The Elec. According to the publication, it will be first mass production of an eighth-generation OLED line in the world, known as A6.

That mass production will start soon, with sources claiming that mass production of glass substrates for the panel will start in May. This isn't the time of full-scale mass production, but it signifies the start of the large-scale manufacturing process.

Samsung Display is expected to aim for 2 million shipments of the panel by the end of 2026. It has to start supplying those panels to Apple assembly partner Foxconn, which produces the MacBooks, from the start of the third quarter.

The relatively early panel production timeline is in part due to this being Samsung's first time mass-producing the A6 panel line. Since Apple has high standards for its components, Samsung is keen to make sure its supply is stable enough for its prestigious client.

While a big reason for consumers to go for the M6 MacBook Pro, not every model in the range may have the higher-quality display. In November, it was proposed that Apple could limit OLED to upper-tier M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, leaving the lower-level M6 versions to use LCD TFT screens as normal.

Chip production

Apple's next generation of Apple Silicon chip, the M6, is also expected to have a shorter timeline to production than expected. But at the same time, the chip may not get as many advantages due to its earlier production schedule.

According to China Times, chip maker TSMC will be producing the M6 under its N2 process. This refers to a two-nanometer process used by TSMC, versus the 3-nanometer version used in the M5 generation.

While Apple is a main customer for TSMC's 2-nanometer capacity, the report points out that it will not be using the second-generation process, known as N2P. TSMC's different process nodes offer various benefits to its clients, and are typically an improvement over the previous node.

For Apple, this would mean that M6 will benefit from the usual die shrink, but it won't be using the best possible process. However, it also means Apple can get its chip out quicker, without reworking the architecture to take advantage of the process itself.