Taq'aix
macrumors 6502
He talked about a rugged premium phone. It never arrived. The iPhone Air is a flop.
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Apple Planning 'MacBook Ultra' With Touchscreen and Higher Price
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I just wish they would fix the keyboard, so it doesn’t look like I always eat handfuls of french fries right before I type.
Ouch, that hit the mark 🥸🫶
But prosumer is a pretty standard colloquially know term though.
Apple can either go that route OR go back to how it used to be. I’d argue it was better before, but somehow Apple found it there was more money innthe other way and here we are.
lilkwarrior
macrumors 6502a
…The Macbook Pro and other Apple prosumer products are very much a prosumer devices and the word has meaning well beyond the photography equipment community.
The original term is people who consumes and creates.
Apple prosumer products are specced to be of ideal/professional quality, consume creative/professional work well, as intended, more ideally, or at professional quality as well give its users the ability to as well.
They’re versatile, no/few compromises devices for “work and play” or to consume and create at a professional/ideal level.
Higher-end prosumers—including professionals themselves as their primary or secondary (home office) devices—will be accommodated by the additional range rumored to be called “Ultra”.
This segmentation is already firmly established by tech product categories such as monitors, desktops, and GPUs by other manufacturers —so why not Apple?
Less a question of "needs" than of convenience for people doing graphic things on the screen. Of course, those could be done by mouse or trackpad, which is why one can question "need", but touch, particularly with an Apple Pencil, is often easier.
Well said.
An office poll at work revealed hardly anyone wants OLED, a touchscreen or a thinner and lighter design along with an obscenely high price.
What they do want is to keep this beast separate from the already excellent MacBook Pro line.
I for one would love a MacBook with a large screen. I'd also love one that could convert to an iPad type device. I realize some people use a MacBook at a desk in a permanent or semi-permanent setup. But I have a desktop computer for that, so I only use my MacBook when traveling.First iteration, the "Ultra" probably won't be a 'Foldable screen" PC , but a decent chance that it will be incrementally heading that way if Apple believes that can make typing on the screen keyboard something that folks will grow into.
[ Kind of like the iPhone Air is 'half' of the foldable iPhone. Make the 'half' work and then go 'whole hog'. ]
It would/could morph into a very large iPad-like device when completely unfolded.
The old MacBook/Power 17" like chassis? Probably not. Times have changed. Type-C , one cable docking to a large desktop display means can just plug into a larger screen if just lugging laptop from worksite to worksite in many cases. There is also a 'second portable screen' market in the current era (for example https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-portable-monitor
that is 4 examples but there are several dozen models. It is a growing market. ) . If have an iPad it also can.
Those are not going to cover everyone , but it does chip away at the folks who are left in the market. A 14" , 16" , and something bigger than 16"? Each one of those is an increasingly smaller group.
P.S. there are lots of dynamic alternatives being tried in general Windows market. ( it is a larger market so the niche pockets are bigger in unit terms. 2% of 90% is pretty close to being 2% of the overall market. 2% of 10% is extremely small.
Lenovo’s Modular, Two-Screen ThinkBook Is the Futuristic Laptop I’m Rooting For
Lenovo is teasing a whole bunch of forward-looking mobile devices at MWC 2026, but this twin-screen concept laptop—with lots of swappable parts—is the one that made me go "Whoa!"www.pcmag.com
When traveling I have to use cases, which I'm sure other people who travel also have. One when I'm working at a remote location and need large screen real estate to work more effectively. The second is during my non-working time when traveling, often in a hotel room. In that case I want an iPad type device where I can just view content or browse while relaxing, and be able to put the device at any sort of angle that is convenient. Often I'll use it while laying on a bed, and standard notebooks are not really comfortable for that use. And phones are a bit too small for me to use effectively.
Of course, I could bring along a MBP plus iPad, but that adds one more device to travel with, and also I like the long battery life of my MBP compared to about half for an iPad. Whether the device runs only MacOS but with touch capabilities, or switches to iPadOS in an iPad mode, I don't really care, though switching modes might be complicated and confusing.
I realize my use case is not very common, so don't really expect Apple to ever make a device that matches what I really want, but sometimes it's just nice to speak up about what our dream machine would be.
An touch screen 13-14" screen with a 2-in-1 hinge to the bottom half of the MBP would do this. A 16+ " iPad seems likely to be a bit unwieldy ( even the 13" iPad Pro is a little 'odd' to handle) . Both the larger screen and the fact that Apple uses high grade aluminum ( e.g. ,the Neo and the MBA weight almost the same. A decent percentage of the weight is driven by the screen size with Apple's basic design rules for aluminum laptops. Over 16" means even more weight. Especially as the screen gets much wider than the keyboard, nence more aluminum 'filler' on either side of keyboard. The legacy MBP 17" was 6.6 pounds. MBP 14" 3+ lbs iPad Pro 13 ~2 lbs so ~5+ lbs weighs less. )
a '360' 2-in-1 hinge would be different than fold/flat foldable hinge , but get them on the path where 'Ultra' has some hinge connotation in the MBP context.
The battery life of two batteries is likely longer than just one. Worktime use drains the MBP. Hotel use would drain iPad. Charging the laptop while using the iPad allows a much greater degree of freedom in where the iPad can be watched. ( if use iPad as a wired second screen then bigger drag on laptop battery, but iPad battery is still fresh when detached and standalone. )
Similarly. 'work' files don't get mixed up with 'personal' files is have two very segregated SSD storage systems. There are workarounds to commingle while segregating, but whole lot cleaner just to have two distinct drives.
I suspect that Apple will eventually get something close with the 'foldable' MBP. If use the on screen keyboard when configured as an open clamshell then you get a 'normal' sized screen. If want the super screen then buy the Apple Magic wireless keyboard and open it flat and prop it up. That is a bigger than 16" screen and don't have to match the keyboard with to the screen width. You fold your 'big screen' to protect it as you transport the device.
Unless have successfully have done foldable smaller screens , it isn't very likely going to be successful at foldable larger ones. But the very uncommon usage case , likely isn't going to come in an affordable price point.
Tagbert
macrumors 604
Separate but not too separate. If they raise the price by a large amount that will substantively lower the volume. So they could release the MBP Ultra in the fall with. M6 Pro (and Max ? if shooting for thinner. ) processor but at dramatically lower volume. Then in the Q1-Q2 timeframe do a the regular MBP 14/16" models at higher volumes.
Similar tract seems to be appearing for iPhones. Super expensive in the Fall (for Pro/Max) ... more mainstream in the Winter/Spring.
mjs916
macrumors 65816
Not even Krispy Kreme can glaze quite like this!
😂
I’ve personally used touchscreen laptops and don’t see the benefit. In my experience the trackpad and keyboard are far more efficient and don’t conflict with the best viewing angle or cause visibility issues (smudges).
Precisely!
Although I use an iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard for certain workflows, nothing beats my 16” M4 Max MacBook Pro with it’s exemplary fast keyboard, ultra responsive trackpad and large beautiful display for the majority of my professional work.
ThailandToo
macrumors 65816
I would say that’s a lot different, you don’t think? Haha
groove-agent
macrumors 68020
I don't think it's clear at all. Wouldn't a premium laptop be above a prosumer laptop? Also, why doesn't "pro" mean professional even though it literally means "professional" in every other use of the word. I the think "Air" moniker means it's lightweight and is fan-less even though fans push air. We see where the nomenclature falls apart ... literally literally (duplication intended). To top is all off, we have Pro and Ultra chips as well which makes it even more confusing. I wonder if there will be MacBook Max laptops in the future?
But hey everything is relative. Have a look at Dell's completely asinine adoption of Apple's naming conventions made worse 100x. Some examples are:
- Dell 16 Laptop
- Dell Pro 16 Laptop
- Dell 16 Plus Laptop
- Dell Pro 16 Plus Laptop
- Dell Pro Max 16 Laptop
- Dell 14 Premium Laptop
- Dell Pro Rugged 14 Laptop
- Dell Pro 14 Essential Laptop
- Dell Pro 14 Premium Laptop
- Dell Pro Max 18 Plus Laptop
- Dell Pro Max 14 Premium Laptop
Of course there are still the XPS, Precision, and Lattitude laptops as well.
What idiot at Dell came up with this?? Epic marketing fail.
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Branding doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Apple doesn't feel it has the freedom to just replace all of its branding with something that makes sense. Branding has a life of its own. Marketing needs to manage historical customer feelings, the evolution of the products market space/price, and the value brands have independent of meaning.
There are reasons we still have the 'i' named iMac and iPhone still.
If nothing else, Apple can only try and correct branding incrementally.
Right now I think I would have Apple do:
- Neo (entry)
- Air (consumer)
- Studio (prosumer)
- Pro (pro)
They might go more with Ultra, but I feel it has less meaning to most buyers right now.
Hopefully the "e", "SE", and "Plus" all go away soon.
I’m not saying it’s "better" or easy….Im saying it could work. Apple is clearly looking to dominate a market instead of just being the smaller player.
Eventually, price will be the ultimate differentiator. And we’re talking Apple’s price differentiation here hehe, which are huge.
Flight Plan
macrumors 65816
Well, I would love to have touch on a Mac. But yeah, what if you have it docked all the time, and also the lid closed?
Tagbert
macrumors 604
SeaFox
macrumors 68030
I have a button on the side of my phone to activate an AI assistant... that doesn't mean I actually ever touch that button. 😉 A lot of laptops being touchscreen does not indicate desirability of the feature. How many people just ignoring it and using the trackpad? Like you said, it's just what people have to get sometimes. Kinda like Smart TVs, when the winning move is really a dumb screen and an OTT streaming box which will generally will have better performance and be easier to upgrade later.
Apple adding touchscreens is just another example of executives trying to will something into popularity, to benefit their business.
In thinking about what you propose, that actually sounds pretty good to me. Even if not ideal, something that still works well, and would be popular enough that Apple might consider building/selling it. Actually, I dislike all notebook computer keyboards. I prefer a nice mechanical keyboard, and although it adds bulk/weight to my travel bag, I almost never travel without it. The same with a trackball (or even mouse) compared to the horrible touchpads on notebook computers. So, a clamshell without a physical keyboard and trackpad, but with double screens sounds great for me. Just don't know how much other users would like it. It seems I'm in the minority when it comes to hating notebook keyboards and trackpads.
chars1ub0w
macrumors 6502a
Except you'd have to wait another generation for the equivalent M-chip series.
Studio is on M3 Ultra, skipping M4 and will be M5 Ultra (3nm). Sounds good until you realize a few months later, the new iPhone comes out, and we're onto a die shrink to 2nm, and the M6 is based on that iPhone chip. And therefore, probably a bigger generational leap in performance than M4 to M5.
Still, I think the Studio is probably better value as it's more compute for your dollar. The MacBook Pro adds an expensive XDR screen, camera, backlit keyboard etc. - which you may or may not need.