Apple is preparing a 14-inch entry-level MacBook Pro for the first half of 2027, and the bigger shake-up isn’t the hardware—it’s a new design language reportedly code-named K104. The change is expected to pull elements from a higher-end MacBook Pro refresh, in
A new entry-level MacBook Pro is on the way, but the timing is only half the story.
Apple is set to introduce a 14-inch MacBook laptop in the first half of 2027, and the more telling detail is what’s coming with it: a brand-new design language for the lineup. Bloomberg describes the machine as “a revamped entry-level MacBook Pro,” code-named K104.
For anyone who has watched Apple’s Pro laptops wear the same overall shell for years. the reported shift feels overdue. The most significant hint is that K104 is expected to borrow design elements from a higher-end MacBook Pro refresh that’s already in development—one that’s described as moving toward touch-sensitive OLED screens and a new design language.
There’s also a smaller change that would be immediately noticeable the moment you open the lid. The presumed inclusion of a punch-hole camera to replace the existing display notch would bring the MacBook Pro’s front look closer to the current iPhone design Apple has been using.
Apple hasn’t been starting from scratch elsewhere, either. The company has already finished work on a separate interim 14-inch MacBook Pro, code-named J804, planned for later in 2026. That model would keep the current design while swapping in a new M6 chip. In other words: J804 is the bridge. K104 is the redesign.
The longer context is why this matters. Apple hasn’t changed the fundamental design of its MacBook Pro lineup since it introduced the M1 series of MacBook Pro. Those laptops were widely viewed as a step forward—Apple introduced the display notch. improved the sound system. sharpened the webcam. expanded the selection of ports. and added a brighter. more color-accurate mini-LED display.
But the underlying chassis has stayed remarkably consistent. The new look arrived in the fall of 2021. and Apple has continued to use the same chassis for at least five subsequent product generations. After nearly half a decade. the Pro design has shifted from being recognizable to being familiar in a way that can feel stale.
This also connects to Apple’s broader strategy. The company adopted the same fundamental design language for the MacBook Air lineup starting with the M2-generation laptops. If Apple is now ready to let go of that visual language for its flagship Pro line. it suggests the company wants a clearer break—not just incremental updates.
That timing lands during a leadership moment as well. The report ties the push for a redesign to Apple’s new direction under hardware veteran John Ternus, who is taking over as the company’s CEO.
Apple MacBook Pro entry-level MacBook Pro K104 J804 14-inch MacBook OLED punch-hole camera notch M6 chip M7 chip John Ternus CEO
So it’s basically just a new camera thing? Punch-hole camera… cool I guess.
I swear Apple rebrands the same laptop every couple years and calls it “redesign language.” If it looks like an iPhone now then that’s kinda disappointing. People really waited till 2027 for a hole in the screen?
Bloomberg always says “code-named” stuff like it’s super secret but then it’s like… we still get the same body. Also the notch replacement is supposedly OLED touchy whatever, but entry-level usually means slower everything. Might as well just buy the 2026 one with the new chip and call it a day.
MacBook Pros have looked the same forever right? Maybe this is finally Apple admitting it got lazy with the chassis. The “K104” name sounds fake though, I don’t trust it lol. Punch-hole camera makes sense with the iPhone style but why would they do OLED touch stuff on the higher end and then tease it on the entry-level? I’m confused but I’m also mad I waited on the next design.