MacBook Pro 2018 release date, specs rumors, features: Next-gen laptop to use dual OLED display

Official render of the 2017 MacBook ProApple

Apple has yet to confirm that a next-generation MacBook Pro is currently in the works. However, the rumors are rife that the upgraded pro-level laptop will arrive sometime this year. According to the latest leaks, the MacBook Pro 2018 will feature a major design change by including a dual display, with the secondary organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display likely to replace the physical keyboard and trackpad.

The latest scoop about the MacBook Pro 2018 came from Patently Apple, which spotted the Cupertino-based firm's patent submission for a dual-display Mac laptop. The design of the potential Mac Pro 2018 suggests that Apple is starting to get rid of the keyboard and trackpad, in which a touch-sensitive secondary OLED display will take their place.

The first design revealed in the MacBook Pro 2018 patent shows a dual display separated by a hinge, and the second display will serve as the keyboard. However, the second design shows a different story as this secondary display panel appears more like an accessory that can be attached to the computer using a magnetic hinge. Technically, the second display functions as a separate mini iPad. 

Interestingly, the MacBook Pro 2018 patent hints that the hardware will have polariser layers that will minimize the glaring effect caused by the primary OLED display to the second display. If ever this dual-display setup for the MacBook Pro pushes through, this will be the most revolutionary and risky design overhaul yet from Apple. However, this is the same reason why such design might not see the light of day. 

Previous rumors about the MacBook Pro 2018 suggest that the laptop will ditch the 7th-generation dual-core processor in favor of the latest Intel 8th-gen quad-core chip. It is expected that making this improvement would introduce up to 40 percent performance boost compared with the older MacBook Pro with a 7th-gen processor. 

It was also tipped that the MacBook Pro 2018 could have additional color options aside from the silver and grey variants. If the rumors are anything to go by, the upcoming Mac Pro will use the gold and rose-gold colors, which have already been available in regular Mac laptops.