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Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features
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I hope if there is only one size I hope they make a 15" version. I'd rather have than than a 14 or 16". Would set it apart as well as a good compromise between the two sizes.
Right now the only 15" laptop you can get from Apple is the MacBook Air. While it's an amazing laptop it would be nice to have an upgraded version in this size.
Right now the only 15" laptop you can get from Apple is the MacBook Air. While it's an amazing laptop it would be nice to have an upgraded version in this size.
BSDnostalgia
macrumors 6502
Wouldn't an upgrade be an MBP? You already like the size. What else does the Air need that it doesn't already have? It is already an M5, you can have 32GB memory, and 4 TB flash.
If hardware elements can't be aligned, I'd love to see official DirectX12 translation layers (and while mostly for playing games with my son, I am curious if DX12 support would allow for better use of Fusion, and I'm sure others would like to see Inventor, etc. options) and surely there'd be enough power to do it with an Ultra chip.
The screen and the processor. I'd like a 15" MacBook Pro but they haven't made that in years. So something close to the weight of the MacBook Air with the pro chip and the OLED screen would be amazing.
It would set the Ultra apart. Don't think people really need a 16" screen in a laptop much (some do of course). I personally would rather seen the Ultra in a 13 and 15" models if they went with two sizes.
CPTmom2wp
macrumors 6502
The only thing I've been waiting for is a return of the 17" screen. The last thing I want is a touch screen laptop. I detest dirty fingerprints all over my laptop screen.
While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were just updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last month, bigger changes are reportedly around the corner.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the higher-end MacBook Pro models will be receiving a major redesign by early 2027, and he said that Apple might use "MacBook Ultra" branding for them. If so, the MacBook Ultra would likely be a higher-priced model at the top of the MacBook lineup, sitting above the MacBook Pro entirely.
Up to six new features have been rumored so far, including an OLED display, touch capabilities, a Dynamic Island, M6 Pro and M6 Max chips manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process, a thinner design, and built-in cellular connectivity.
The exact launch timing remains to be seen, but Gurman recently said that early 2027 is now looking more likely than late 2026 due to the global memory chip shortage. Apple's supply of RAM is constrained, which might push back the launch.
Keep in mind that the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip is not expected to receive many of the changes listed below.
Apple last redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2021, when the M1 Pro and M1 Max models launched, so the MacBook Ultra would represent the first major redesign in at least five years and is a model that many customers are holding out for.
Below, we recap rumored MacBook Ultra features.
OLED Display
Regardless of whether Apple uses MacBook Pro or MacBook Ultra branding, it is widely expected that these will be the first MacBooks with OLED displays.
The current MacBook Pro models are equipped with LCD displays with mini-LED backlighting. The move to OLED technology would result in improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.
All of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro models that Apple sells today are already equipped with OLED displays, excluding refurbished models.
Touch Screen
Not only will the MacBook Ultra be moving to OLED, but the display will apparently have touch-screen capabilities too. This functionality would allow Mac users to use both their fingers and a keyboard and mouse/trackpad for input.
Steve Jobs said that a touch-screen Mac would cause arm fatigue, but he made that comment a long time ago, and Apple does reverse course from time to time.
Dynamic Island
Yet another display-related change rumored for the MacBook Ultra is a hole-punch camera, and this will pave the way for a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.
With a Dynamic Island, the MacBook Ultra would be another step towards a truly edge-to-edge display with thin bezels. Like on the iPhone, the Dynamic Island would display things such as low battery life alerts and AirPods connection indicators in the area surrounding the camera at the top-center part of the screen.
M6 Pro and M6 Max Chips
This one is obvious, but the MacBook Ultra is expected to be powered by Apple's next-generation M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Notably, these chips are expected to be manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process, which should result in greater year-over-year performance and efficiency gains than usual.
The current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are built with TSMC's third-generation 3nm process.
Thinner Design
MacBook Ultra is expected to have a thinner design compared to the MacBook Pro.
The move from LCD with mini-LED backlighting to OLED would contribute to the thinner design, and there could be other changes that help to slim things down.
As of now, there has been no indication that Apple plans to once again remove ports like HDMI, MagSafe, or the SD card slot in order to achieve this thinner design, but we shall see. That was a very unpopular decision the last time it happened.
Cellular
Macs can already connect to a cellular network via the Personal Hotspot feature on a nearby iPhone or iPad, but Apple has reportedly at least considered built-in cellular connectivity for future Macs. If these plans moved forward, the MacBook Ultra would likely be equipped with Apple's C1X or future C2 modem for 5G and LTE.
Article Link: Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features
You and me are like siblings from a different mother, my friend. 17” and cellular FTW
Hyperchaotic
macrumors 6502
I suppose you wouldn't get prints on the screen if you just didn't touch it? And if you eat a lot of cheetos while working your keyboard might need a pressure wash too.
I had a touch screen laptop once, it was occasionally convenient when discussing something with a colleague, tapping or moving something. It was an intuitive interaction but it wasn't a thing I used sustained, just a nice convenience. The screen also didn't get noticeably more dirty than usual, but I clean the screen every few weeks anyway because dirty screens bother me.
The real objection would be how much this [rumored touch sensor] adds to the bill of materials (not much) and retail price (maybe more), as a lesser used feature.
ImaginaryNerve
macrumors regular
Pretty sure "touch screen macs" has been rumored for years. Eventually, if and when they do release one, we can all point to Gurman and say he was right! It only took him 50 years to be right. 😛
avkills
macrumors 65816
Apple does not dictate screen sizes in laptops because they don't make the screens; but I am sure they request the sizes they want. Also I am pretty sure 16" MacBook Pro is not physically bigger than the 15.4" Intel MBPs due to the bevel being reduced and the "notch".
Everyone who does any sort of content creation wants a bigger screen. A new 17" would kick ass.
skitidetdu
macrumors 6502a
is it wild to think that the screen won't actually be a touch screen but cameras in the notch will allow for hand gestures such as in the Vision Pro?
avkills
macrumors 65816
I do not like that idea; seems like something weird could happen if you are on a video call and are gesturing your hands while talking.
Totally understand Apple doesn't dictate screen sizes. But they are such a massive company if they ask for a screen size with certain specs, my guess is someone would make it for them.
There are some that definitely want a bigger screen. So maybe a 15" and 17" Ultra would be ideal. People do want bigger screens but they also want lighter laptops. The 13" MacBook Air is so much easier to lug around than the 14" MacBook Pro. Even though it's not that much lighter. But it's always a tradeoff of course.
avkills
macrumors 65816
The weight of laptops is not going to change unless they come up with different battery tech. Making everything thinner means less battery life.
The current thickness of laptops for me is not a problem, nor the weight.
Everyone has different requirements of course. If they made a MacBook Air style Pro version (even with less battery life), that's what I'd want. Mainly the screen upgrade to OLED with a Pro chip.
BSDnostalgia
macrumors 6502
I agree. I loved the 17" 1920x1200 back in the day, and, I would love a 3840x2400 with no notch if they made it. The pursuit of bevel-free is a marketing thing like "thin". "Thin" has worn thin with me. When I had the 17", some people would complain about my system because they couldn't handle the weight. I never could understand that-- I wasn't making them carry it. I like variety-- the Air is perfect for people who prioritize weight, but, other people have other priorities.
Well, it couldn't be an Air if it had a Pro chip-- too hot. Why not just enjoy the Pro the way it is?
It would likely be between current Pro and Air models in thickness. That’s the rumor at least. I’d simply like a 15” model but that likely won’t happen.
