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MacBook Ultra: Everything We Know About Apple's OLED Touchscreen Mac

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Apple is working on a high-end MacBook Pro that could be called the "MacBook Ultra." The device will have several firsts in a Mac, including an OLED display and a touchscreen.


The "Ultra" name isn't a sure thing, and Apple could also continue to call the device the MacBook Pro. It will be a "Pro" device in the MacBook Pro line.
Design

Apple hasn't redesigned the MacBook Pro since it added Apple silicon chips in 2021, so the device is due for a new look. The MacBook Ultra could feature some design changes, including a thinner chassis.

Apple could get rid of the notch on the MacBook Ultra, replacing it with an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. A Dynamic Island would unify the way Siri AI behaves across the iPhone and the Mac with iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate.

Size Options

The MacBook Ultra will be available in both 14-inch and 16-inch size options.

Display

Apple's upcoming MacBook will be the first with an OLED display. OLED display technology is already used for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro, but it has taken time for larger-sized OLED screens to come down in price.

OLED will be an upgrade over the current mini-LED display technology in most cases, bringing deeper colors and a higher contrast ratio with true blacks. In an OLED display, individual pixels turn off instead of dim when not activated, so there's less light leakage. OLED displays tend to have better HDR than mini-LED, but sometimes don't match the overall mini-LED brightness levels.

Along with OLED technology, the MacBook Ultra is expected to have the first touchscreen display on a Mac. Users will be able to use their fingers for tapping and interacting with items on the Mac's display, similar to an iPad.

Touchscreen capabilities will be used alongside the trackpad and keyboard, and so Apple may be viewing them as more supplementary than a main control method. Apple is rumored to be adapting macOS Golden Gate for touch input.

Apple plans to add a reinforced hinge to the MacBook Ultra's display so that it doesn't wobble when it's tapped.
M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips

The current MacBook Pro models are equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and Apple plans to use the same chips for the rumored MacBook Ultra.

Apple is planning to introduce the M6 chip as soon as late 2026, but Bloomberg says Apple isn't going to release any other chips in the M6 series. Apple's chip plans have changed in recent months, and there won't be an M6 Pro or an M6 Max. With no M6 Pro or M6 Max, Apple will need to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max so it doesn't have to wait for the M7 series.

A second-generation MacBook Ultra will use the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips.

With the MacBook Ultra set to use the same chips that are in the existing MacBook Pro, it's unclear if it will replace the existing 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models or be sold alongside them as a higher-end option.

MacBook Ultra Hints

There are features in macOS Golden Gate that hint at a future touchscreen Mac. Apple added direct touch input to Sidecar so users can tap and interact with macOS elements when using the iPad as a Mac display.

macOS Golden Gate supports an iPhone-style pull-to-refresh option, and it can be used across apps like Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar. A pull-to-refresh option makes the most sense on a touch display.

Pricing

Apple's OLED MacBook is expected to be a premium product, with a price tag higher than current MacBook Pro models. Apple raised the prices of all Macs in June, and so the MacBook Ultra will likely be even more expensive than expected.

The higher-end 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip starts at $2,499, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,999. The OLED MacBook will be priced even higher.

Launch Date

Rumors suggest the MacBook Ultra will launch in late 2026 or early 2027, with mass production to start in late 2026. If the MacBook Ultra comes in 2026, it could be released sometime between October and December, but it won't be unveiled at Apple's September iPhone event.

If it launches in 2027, it could come early in the year at Apple's first 2027 event.

Article Link: MacBook Ultra: Everything We Know About Apple's OLED Touchscreen Mac
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/macbook-ultra/
Likely even Apple is fed up with how mini-LED backlit screens actually look in person.
OLED ain’t much better but maybe it’ll be an improvement over what’s available today
 
now i see it said:
Likely even Apple is fed up with how mini-LED backlit screens actually look in person.
OLED ain’t much better but maybe it’ll be an improvement over what’s available today
Click to expand...
So if you eliminate mini-LED and OLED, what scalable technology should Apple be using? AMOLED? What's your suggestion here?

OLED is vastly superior to mini-LED to my eyes.
 
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Interesting idea. I personally have no need for OLEd or touch, other's mileage may vary; I'm more interested in more powerful on device AI capabilities for running an LLM locally. In my case, I'm better served spending money on more RAM than OLED/touch.

IMHO, until developers adapt programs to use touch beyond scroll and push a button, touch will be a novelty. Personally, I think simply adding a touch sensitive border to allow scrolling would meet 90% of most users use case for touch based on my anecdotal observations.
 
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Was going to wait for the touchscreen MB until the price raise last week. Feeling so good about my new MBP Air M5 now, even more. I’ve spent so much time on iPads, I’m still adjusting to not having a touchscreen, I mindlessly keep tapping the screen. It’s not an issue when I hook it up to my display and use a trackball, just when it’s sitting on my lap.
 
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mozumder said:
It seems this is more likely a MacBook Pro refresh, since it's been over 5 years since the last MacBook Pro refresh and Apple usually refreshes MacBook Pros every 4-5 years.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I believe this model will introduce technologies that will eventually become standard on the MacBook Pro as they come down in cost, so I would be surprised if it is given a new and unique model line ( "MacBook Ultra"). I am more expecting it to be called "MacBook Pro with Touch" or "MacBook Pro (Touch Edition)".
 
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"Touchscreen" doesn't mean everything you do will be touch—it will just be another input. If you have the keyboard for an iPad, you probably already do it and don't even realize it. Further, Gen Z and Gen Alpha have grown up with touch interfaces (I remember my youngest—he was about 4—going to touch the TV to choose an episode of Thomas he wanted to watch). They use touch interfaces on phones, tablets, Windows machines, Chromebooks, etc. To keep up with the times and expectations of the upcoming consumers, Apple has to start giving them that option.
 
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GrumpyOldGuy52 said:
"Touchscreen" doesn't mean everything you do will be touch—it will just be another input. If you have the keyboard for an iPad, you probably already do it and don't even realize it. Further, Gen Z and Gen Alpha have grown up with touch interfaces (I remember my youngest—he was about 4—going to touch the TV to choose an episode of Thomas he wanted to watch). They use touch interfaces on phones, tablets, Windows machines, Chromebooks, etc. To keep up with the times and expectations of the upcoming consumers, Apple has to start giving them that option.
Click to expand...
To me, the oddest part about this would be adding this functionality in the “pro/high-end” devices where one would possibly expect less day to day usage. I could see this being more of a core selling point feature of an Air/Neo device but not the higher end lineup.
 
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Ah, yes, a touchscreen MacBook. The answer to a question nobody is asking... Now, where are all of the brown, diesel, manual transmission station wagons that internet car gurus think everyone wants?
 
It sounds like Apple are just trying to find ways to use the old M chips they have in the cupboard, rather than having to buy expensive 2nm M6 family of chips from TSMC for pro users
 
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It sounds an awful lot like a larger iPad Pro with MacOS slapped on it for probably double the price, but what do I know?
 
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