Apple Planning 'MacBook Ultra' With Touchscreen and Higher Price

[MacRumors]

Apple is planning to launch an all-new "MacBook Ultra" model this year, featuring an OLED display, touchscreen, and a higher price point, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

Gurman revealed the information in his latest "Power On" newsletter. While Apple has been widely expected to launch new M6-series MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, touchscreen functionality, and a new, thinner design in the fourth quarter of 2026 for some time, Gurman today turned that rumor on its head with the suggestion that this is an all-new kind of MacBook rather than a MacBook Pro.

Instead of succeeding the newly announced M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, the "MacBook Ultra" will be a new, top-tier Apple laptop. Gurman added that the device is likely to sit above the current M5 MacBook Pros, rather than replace them, suggesting that they will remain on sale.

This would enable a markedly higher price point for the new machines. Gurman noted that when Apple brought OLED displays to the iPhone X in 2017 and the iPad Pro in 2024, it simultaneously raised price by around 20%. As a result, Gurman believes a similar price increase on account of the MacBook's first ever OLED display may be likely and help move the MacBook Pro further upmarket.

Gurman says that this fits into a broader trend at Apple, where the company is seeking to offer more models at more price points, such as the new MacBook Neo at an unprecedented $599 price point to rival low-cost Windows and Chromebook devices. The same is occurring at the high-end, with more premium options available than ever before.

That is set to continue this year with the first foldable iPhone, featuring a ~$2,000 price tag, large inner display, and under-display sensors, and new AirPods priced above the current AirPods Pro at the top of the lineup with computer-vision cameras to feed Visual Intelligence data to Siri. Gurman even suggested that these products may be called the "iPhone Ultra" and "AirPods Ultra."

While the name "MacBook Ultra" is uncertain, Gurman is clearly no longer referring to the device as a MacBook Pro, instead referring to it as "the touch-screen and OLED high-end MacBook." He cautioned that Apple "could keep the traditional MacBook Pro name," but a MacBook Ultra moniker would "more clearly signal their position at the top of the lineup." Gurman expects the device to launch around the end of the year.

​

Article Link: Apple Planning 'MacBook Ultra' With Touchscreen and Higher Price

 

[antonrg]

Timmy continuing to fragment any lineup he can. As long as they don't make the Pro line worse, it's fine.

 

[surfzen21]

I hate the fact that my thumb slightly touches the screen when I open my current laptop.

No way I want to put even more smudges on a screen. This seems like it would benefit greatly from nano texture glass.

 

[SvenLorenz1975]

That would actually be a good compromise. Keep the MacBook Pros the way they are and introduce this as a MacBook Ultra. And it will make it easier to make it disappear again when Apple realizes that nobody needs OLED, a touchscreen or a thinner and lighter design.

 

[LincolnBio]

This makes more sense than the M5 MacBook Pro becoming obsolete 6 months after its release.

 

[Le0M]

I've been saying this all along: if Apple really releases a MacTouch or whatever it's gonna be called, it's gonna be a new product, with a new OS that will blend macOS and iPadOS.

 

[darkphoenix24]

I think I see where this is going.

Back in 2012, Apple had spec updates to their MacBook Pro lineup in both 13 and 15 inch models. Simultaneously, they also released a new 15” Retina MacBook Pro, at a higher price point.

Then a year later, the 13” got the Retina display. After that, the non retina models were phased out.

The 2016 and 2021 models were redesigns and not an entirely new model, which this might be with both OLED and a touch screen. So they might have this be the highest end for a year or two and then slowly phase out the 2021 design, which would still be sold refurbished.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Timmy continuing to fragment any lineup he can. As long as they don't make the Pro line worse, it's fine.

Pulling on all the knobs and levers on the lemon squeezer.

It requires a lot of creativity to keep number going up from where it currently is.

 

[TSE]

I'm a day one buyer for the name alone. Ultra!

 

[hoodlum90]

This sounds like an iPhone X redux.

 

[The Game 161]

makes most sense. thats why the m5 pros were released and ultra will be out later as seperate

 

[MarkNewton2023]

Apple is planning to launch an all-new "MacBook Ultra" model this year, featuring an OLED display, touchscreen, and a higher price point, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

Gurman revealed the information in his latest "Power On" newsletter. While Apple has been widely expected to launch new M6-series MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, touchscreen functionality, and a new, thinner design in the fourth quarter of 2026 for some time, Gurman today turned that rumor on its head with the suggestion that this is an all-new kind of MacBook rather than a MacBook Pro.

Instead of succeeding the newly announced M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, the "MacBook Ultra" will be a new, top-tier Apple laptop. Gurman added that the device is likely to sit above the current M5 MacBook Pros, rather than replace them, suggesting that they will remain on sale.

This would enable a markedly higher price point for the new machines. Gurman noted that when Apple brought OLED displays to the iPhone X in 2017 and the iPad Pro in 2024, it simultaneously raised price by around 20%. As a result, Gurman believes a similar price increase on account of the MacBook's first ever OLED display may be likely and help move the MacBook Pro further upmarket.

Gurman says that this fits into a broader trend at Apple, where the company is seeking to offer more models at more price points, such as the new MacBook Neo at an unprecedented $599 price point to rival low-cost Windows and Chromebook devices. The same is occurring at the high-end, with more premium options available than ever before.

That is set to continue this year with the first foldable iPhone, featuring a ~$2,000 price tag, large inner display, and under-display sensors, and new AirPods priced above the current AirPods Pro at the top of the lineup with computer-vision cameras to feed Visual Intelligence data to Siri. Gurman even suggested that these products may be called the "iPhone Ultra" and "AirPods Ultra."

While the name "MacBook Ultra" is uncertain, Gurman is clearly no longer referring to the device as a MacBook Pro, instead referring to it as "the touch-screen and OLED high-end MacBook." He cautioned that Apple "could keep the traditional MacBook Pro name," but a MacBook Ultra moniker would "more clearly signal their position at the top of the lineup." Gurman expects the device to launch around the end of the year.

​

Article Link: Apple Planning 'MacBook Ultra' With Touchscreen and Higher Price

This ultra MacBook will be the dream laptop: OLED with touch screen, thinner with a new design which makes it the best of the MacBook lines and the iconic MacBook in the golden Apple anniversary. This iconic MacBook with the iFold or iconic iPhone Fold will become the two icons of transformative user experience products and major innovations ever made in Apple golden milestone anniversary. Love to see this super cool MacBook ever made materialized.

 

[antonrg]

Pulling on all the knobs and levers on the lemon squeezer.

It requires a lot of creativity to keep number going up from where it currently is.

Honestly, I couldn't care less about his tactics, as long as they don't cripple the Pro line, I am very happy. The current Pro lineup is excellent.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Apple’s reason is to market it to get more money, but user wise, what’s the benefit? Maybe drop this TV Show business and get back to focusing on hardware for user benefit.

 

[anthony13]

Yea this is what I’ve been thinking all along. It’s a new product line and potentially it won’t even be a power user product at first. I could see this releasing this year with a base M6.

Also, The Mac book pro is already tipping over 5k for high end models. We don’t need a 7k laptop.

 

[CarAnalogy]

When asked what this means for the Mac Pro, an Apple spokesperson was quoted as saying "What's that?"

 

[vegetassj4]

Ultra Smultra, studio is where it's at!

 

[joshwithachance]

It makes sense, but also doesn't. With the expected launch being about 6 months from now, being an entirely new series of MacBook makes sense as a way to not completely piss off M5 Pro/Max buyers. But in that same vein, the target demographic for this machine is the same prosumer/professional as those just released Pros...

 

[turbineseaplane]

Honestly, I couldn't care less about his tactics, as long as they don't cripple the Pro line, I am very happy. The current Pro lineup is excellent.

The "tactics" come for every product eventually.
Nothing will be exempt from getting "Cooked".

 

[e1me5]

Whatever the case is, just don't make it throttle due to excessive heat like the dreadful paper thin i9s.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If this alleged ultra was 12”, it would be a day one purchase.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The name seems very unlikely to me, all three of Apple‘s current MacBooks have three letters in the identifier name “Neo, Air, Pro”.
What *does* seem likely is that this new model will not replace what exists right now, but will sit above it, just like most other MacBook Pro redesigns of the past.
The retina MacBook Pro was introduced at the same time as updates to the standard MacBook Pro in 2012.
In 2016 the base MacBook Pro didn’t have a touch bar, and Apple kept the 2015 as an entry version.
In 2021 Apple kept the design of the base MacBook Pro the same until 2023, including the Touch Bar.
So that does seem quite likely.

 

[Kylo83]

So it will be over £5500 and what happens when the m6 max MacBook Pro comes out, the ultra will be behind a chip, this is all so confusing. I was waiting thinking it’s just the next generation m6 max will be the redesign, silly having both lines as the same time, one chip will outdate another

 

[LightProtector]

That would actually be a good compromise. Keep the MacBook Pros the way they are and introduce this as a MacBook Ultra. And it will make it easier to make it disappear again when Apple realizes that nobody needs OLED, a touchscreen or a thinner and lighter design.

Genuinely this has to be bait. Do you think anybody needs anything? But having better technology in the laptops means a better product for consumers and more reason to buy it.

 

[DrWojtek]

A new macbook. With touch. It has to use a name with three letters (Neo, Air, Pro). What is the first thing humans touch? Their mothers breast.

This is it. The Macbook Tit.