Apple's OLED 'MacBook Ultra' Will Stick With M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips

[HairyMab32]

People on here were calling each other idiots for buying M5 Spec MBPs saying M6 OLED was right around corner and would be wasting money. We now have price hikes and rumors that M6 is delayed.

Once again it’s evident that you should stop listening to other people’s opinions and do what you think is right.

- currently writing this from my 16 MBP M5P w/ Nano, 64GB, 2TB that now costs $1936 more.

 

[mikebenton]

With all the investment into cloud computing, I guess the idea is that we should have lower spec systems….since the cloud is intended to do all the heavy lifting now? Not everyone is doing post-production video work. They certainly are not setting us up to be able to afford local AI. I guess it’s all going to come down to services, not local.

 

[Christopher Pelham]

With all the investment into cloud computing, I guess the idea is that we should have lower spec systems….since the cloud is intended to do all the heavy lifting now? Not everyone is doing post-production video work. They certainly are not setting us up to be able to afford local AI. I guess it’s all going to come down to services, not local.

I don't know. Multiple cloud AI service buildouts seem unsustainable, financially and environmentally, so I would guess we will eventually move to more and more local AI compute with just generic cloud AI service (like we already have generic cloud services) once memory chip production capacity catches up enough to bring these computers down under $2000. The goal should be to provide a MacBook Air with sufficient RAM to run an optimized LLM (maybe something closer to that trim Chinese model) for $999, with higher-level tasks still offloaded to the cloud? Is that achievable in 5 years?

 

[collin_]

This doesn't make sense to me (but neither does a touchscreen MacBook). The M5 chips were a marginal upgrade, whereas the M6 generation on the new 2nm node would be a much bigger deal. Why release an ultra-high end MacBook with last year's silicon?

It's also frustrating how the higher end devices seem to perpetually lag behind in terms of the silicon generation by like 2 years.

 

[transpo1]

Steve Jobs would gag at the thought of a touchscreen laptop. It's an ergonomic nightmare, the only exception are 2 in 1's, which Apple would obviously never do!

Jobs changed his mind frequently when the data supported it. Now that we're all using iPad Pros with Magic Keyboards (essentially touchscreen Macbooks), it makes sense to incorporate it. And don't tell us you don't use the touchscreen on your iPad because that's obviously a lie.

Touch will give you finger prints + very unergonomic and OLED won't be much better. The current MiniLED is actually very good. Safe yourself money and buy something substantial later - your wallet will thank you.

Mini LED on the MBP is good but it's not OLED good. Regarding the fingerprints, see my comment above ⬆️

Looking forward to having an OLED MBP with touch capability— even if I do wait for the M7 version.

 

[Pezimak]

I do not believe a word of this lolololol.... why do you put so much faith in Gurman? He literally changes his mind weekly and you follow him like the second coming.. he is literally treated as the ONLY source for news round here.

 

[Christopher Pelham]

I think they will need to make it more clear to the masses that M5 Pro + Max will be faster than M6 and that this has been the case with each generation of chips.

 

[kwokaaron]

This doesn't make sense to me (but neither does a touchscreen MacBook). The M5 chips were a marginal upgrade, whereas the M6 generation on the new 2nm node would be a much bigger deal. Why release an ultra-high end MacBook with last year's silicon?

It’s not hugely different than what Apple did when they released the first generation MacBook Pro with Retina Display back in 2012 - it had the exact same Intel chips as the unibody MacBook Pro released that same year. That being said, I guess the biggest difference here is that the Ultra wasn’t released at the same time as the M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pros - though maybe they didn’t anticipate having to cancel the M6 Pro/Max chips.

 

[name99]

Ahh I know this game - release the OLED Ultra with an M5, then 6 months later the M7 version is out at the same price. Stick it to the early adopters.

Oh grow up.

What's happening here is probably the following:
Each large component (CPU, GPU, now NPU) runs on a somewhat separate schedule. In the past the scheduling was something like the CPU tries to operate like clockwork for September, and picks up whatever other IP blocks are ready at the time.
Now it will be the GPU and NPU that set the timing, picking up whatever CPU is ready.

So M6/A20 ship in Sept as usual because iPhone; but a notably better GPU and NPU are expected to be ready in 2027H1, and they will be bundled into what will be called the M7 (probably with almost to exactly the same CPU as M6).

 

[rp2011]

I do not see any sane reason to upgrade to this now. It's either save money and buy the current one, or wait for the second gen with all the bug fixes AND better newer chips.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

If this is the case, then I don't think the new touch screen models are going to be some new Ultra tier that sits above the regular Pro and Max MacBook Pros, they'll just BE the new Pro and Max MacBook Pros, with the base M6 chip replacing the base M5 in the existing, entry-level, non-touch chassis.

Yesterday's price increases already make them an Ultra tier. The 14" M5 Max MacBook Pro now starts at $4100! What are they gonna do, have a touch screen Ultra model with the same SoC that sits above it at $5K? That doesn't seem tenable anymore.

 

[DonkeyKongGarlic]

Apple's upcoming high-end MacBook model featuring an OLED touchscreen display will use the company's current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The new, top-of-the-line device will launch "between late this year and early next year," Gurman said, adopting the existing high-end Apple silicon chips rather than next-generation M6 versions. Like the MacBook Pro, the touchscreen MacBook will be available in 14- and 16-inch display sizes, code-named "K114" and "K116." The device will also feature a new design and an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. It is expected to be more expensive than the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, which now starts at $1,999 as of Apple's recent price rises.

Yesterday, Gurman revealed that Apple plans to skip what would have been the "M6 Pro" and "M6 Max" for more powerful "M7 Pro" and "M7 Max" chips. The M7 series of chips is said to be focused on intense AI workloads, featuring upgraded neural accelerators, graphics enhancements, and increased memory bandwidth. A new entry-level MacBook Pro with the M6 chip is still expected to launch later this year.

Apple is apparently working on a successor to the high-end MacBook model containing the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips, planned for release toward the end of 2027. The company is also planning to refresh the Mac Studio with M7 Max and M7 Ultra chip options in 2028.

Article Link: Apple's OLED 'MacBook Ultra' Will Stick With M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips

Apple reaily isn't skipping anything. It's just a naming convention.

 

[Techwatcher]

I'll take an M5 Max over a baseline M6 since there will be no Pro or Max versions of the M6. Not sure what people are crying about.

 

[erkanasu]

Can someone help me better predict what's going to happen here later this year? Is Apple going to be selling two 16" MacBooks with the M5 Pro - the Pro version and Ultra laptop versions? At the same time? Will the reg Pro be $3000 and Ultra will be maybe $3600?

I already own an awesome 14" M4 Pro 14", but I impulse ordered a price-matched 16" Pro for $2500, ready for pickup. My eyes hate the iPad Pro OLED but are fine with the iPhone 17 Pro OLED, trying to strategize here and decide if a) I just go ahead and pick up my good deal or b) let it go and hope to god the Ultra fixes the PWM issue from the iPad Pro and is not a bazillion dollars.

I do crave also having a 16" for some of my creative work, and keeping my 14" for running my companies

 

[Charlie Bonesx]

Ahh I know this game - release the OLED Ultra with an M5, then 6 months later the M7 version is out at the same price. Stick it to the early adopters.

Except the m7 won’t be oled

So you get to choose if you want to pay for a nicer screen or a newer SOC

 

[Charlie Bonesx]

I think they will need to make it more clear to the masses that M5 Pro + Max will be faster than M6 and that this has been the case with each generation of chips.

People shopping for the most performant possible computer should have no problem figuring that out for themselves

 

[t0rqx]

Ive said this for years. Apple is going selling devices for higher prices with leftovers. They did this with the Homepod, removing speakers, mics and downgrading the Wifi chip to 5, but for a higher price.

They had a s***load of M2 chips, because of bad sales and used them for products like AVP and their own servers.

Rebranding old SoCs in Apple Watches and selling them as a new gen.

Now they bring this BS to Pro devices. Design a more expensive product Macbook Ultra but use leftovers M5 chips.
What Bloomberg does not know is, there will be an M6 Pro/Max, its just a M5 in disguise, just like the Apple Watches.

 

[DownUnderDan]

I do not believe a word of this lolololol.... why do you put so much faith in Gurman? He literally changes his mind weekly and you follow him like the second coming.. he is literally treated as the ONLY source for news round here.

Well to be fair you still havent got your newsletter out yet.

 

[space808]

"We should pass input costs onto consumers as a 4 trillion dollar company with 25% net margins"

"We should also make our upcoming MacBook lineup that nobody will buy as confusing as possible"

On another well-known Apple-dedicated site, I was downvoted at feverish pitch for saying much the same about the recent price hikes.

I tried to point out that the recent price hikes are not because Apple would otherwise lose money, but because shareholders would be unhappy about lowered margins (albeit still healthily profitable). Apple has charged anywhere between 500-900% premiums on memory and storage upgrades for a decade or more. The AI madness-induced memory goldrush shouldn't really affect Apple too much because they can digest the 85-100% extra cost without increasing product prices. But they did it anyway. And pointing that out really upsets fanboys.

 

[Zwhaler]

Ahh I know this game - release the OLED Ultra with an M5, then 6 months later the M7 version is out at the same price. Stick it to the early adopters.

Gotta satisfy em for being first, then make em jealous and want to upgrade! That emotional volatility gets people hooked.

 

[MrGunny94]

Waiting to see this MacBook. Would like to have cellular connectivity option too. Think the 16" touch MacBook could start at $3499. Not sure whether there will be two screen options or just a 16" model.

Yeah celular would be great for me instead of having to hotspot every so day or not whenever I'm in remote locations.

 

[antonrg]

But will cost you only 3599€

 

[SSD-GUY]

Can someone clarify if with this MacBook Ultra launch, the whole MacBook Pro line up will receive a redesign? Or will the same chassis be used for the normal MacBook Pro models, and then there'll also be a high-end Ultra model with a redesigned/thinner chassis with OLED display? If the latter is true, then will the entire series get a redesign at the end of 2028 then?

 

[Flight Plan]

Apple's upcoming high-end MacBook model featuring an OLED touchscreen display will use the company's current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The new, top-of-the-line device will launch "between late this year and early next year," Gurman said, adopting the existing high-end Apple silicon chips rather than next-generation M6 versions. Like the MacBook Pro, the touchscreen MacBook will be available in 14- and 16-inch display sizes, code-named "K114" and "K116." The device will also feature a new design and an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. It is expected to be more expensive than the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, which now starts at $1,999 as of Apple's recent price rises.

Touchscreen using the M5? Okay...

Yesterday, Gurman revealed that Apple plans to skip what would have been the "M6 Pro" and "M6 Max" for more powerful "M7 Pro" and "M7 Max" chips. The M7 series of chips is said to be focused on intense AI workloads, featuring upgraded neural accelerators, graphics enhancements, and increased memory bandwidth. A new entry-level MacBook Pro with the M6 chip is still expected to launch later this year.

...so I guess we're skipping the M6...

Apple is apparently working on a successor to the high-end MacBook model containing the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips, planned for release toward the end of 2027. The company is also planning to refresh the Mac Studio with M7 Max and M7 Ultra chip options in 2028.

While I'm disappointed that we won't see an M6 MBP and we'll have to wait until the end of 2027 to get the M7, I'm still thinking that maybe this is the right thing for me.

I can keep using my M1 for another year.

And if I change my mind and get an M5 this year, it's still going to be a great computer.

 

[Flight Plan]

Yeah celular would be great for me instead of having to hotspot every so day or not whenever I'm in remote locations.

Cellular built-in might just make me give up my Windows laptop. It's the one main thing missing from PCs. And might get me to carry a laptop more than I already carry my iPad.

EDIT: Oh yeah, except for the fact that I like to play computer games. Rats.