Top Stories: MacBook Ultra, Vision Pro, and iPhone Ultra Rumors

[MacRumors]

It was another jam-packed week of Apple news this week, with fresh rumors on the touchscreen "MacBook Ultra" and the foldable "iPhone Ultra," as well as Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone coming next year.

This week also saw more word that Apple is shifting focus away from the Vision Pro, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features

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.

Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still weren't interested.

Apple has apparently stopped work on the Vision Pro and the Vision Pro team has been redistributed to other teams within Apple. Some former Vision Pro team members are working on Siri, which is not a surprise as Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell has been leading the Siri team since March 2025.

Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Missing These 5 Key Features Despite $2,000 Price Tag

Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," could be missing at least five key features present on the iPhone 18 Pro models despite its $2,000 price point.

Image via Vadim Yuryev​

Recent images of dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two previously undiscussed missing features of the ‌iPhone Ultra‌: MagSafe and the Action Button. That's in addition to several other features like Face ID and a Telephoto camera lens that have already been rumored for some time to be lacking on the foldable iPhone.

Apple Introduces App Store Monthly Subscriptions With 12-Month Commitment

Apple this week announced the launch of a new subscription option for App Store developers: monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment. The new option allows developers to offer subscribers discounted pricing typically associated with an annual subscription but paid on a monthly basis to keep payments more affordable.

This new payment option allows you to offer subscribers more affordable options. People can cancel their subscription at any time, which will prevent the subscription from renewing after they've completed their agreed-to payments to fulfill their commitment.

Notably, the new subscription type will be worldwide except for the United States and Singapore, at least for now.

20th Anniversary iPhone to Feature Custom 'Micro-Curved' OLED Panel

For its 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple is tapping Samsung to produce a custom micro-curved OLED display that is brighter and thinner than existing panels, according to new supply chain information out of China.

Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th-anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device.

To that end, Apple is said to be seeking from Samsung an equal-depth quad-curved panel design that uses "micro-curves" to keep the curve very shallow, as opposed to the aggressively curved "waterfall" edges of some existing Samsung panels.

Apple Shares 'Ted Lasso' Season Four Streaming Date and Teaser Trailer

Apple this week announced that its hit comedy-drama series "Ted Lasso" is returning for a fourth season with a first episode on Wednesday, August 5. One new episode will follow every Wednesday thereafter through October 7.

"Ted Lasso" is one of the most popular shows ever released on the Apple TV streaming service. The eponymous character Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, starts off as a small-time football coach from Kansas who is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer.

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Article Link: Top Stories: MacBook Ultra, Vision Pro, and iPhone Ultra Rumors

 

[nt5672]

With regard to Vision Pro, put the battery, WiFi and BlueTooth on the users waist.

The technology is just not energy efficient enough for the current design. I will never wear a battery brick on my head because of the weight and my health is just too valuable for long term radio transmitters setting next to my brain.

 

[Windoes]

The MacBook Ultra pic is disturbing

 

[bratsche]

You can call it Ultra all you want, but I don't want a touchscreen Mac. Nobody has been asking for that and nobody ****ing wants it.

 

[I7guy]

You can call it Ultra all you want, but I don't want a touchscreen Mac. Nobody has been asking for that and nobody ****ing wants it.

If you read the threads MR users have been asking for touchscreen Mac, whether you want it or not.

 

[BeatsByTim]

TED FREAKIN' LASSO! WOO!!

 

[BeatsByTim]

With regard to Vision Pro, put the battery, WiFi and BlueTooth on the users waist.

I think with the vision pro you can stick all that stuff up somewher else.

 

[BeatsByTim]

You can call it Ultra all you want, but I don't want a touchscreen Mac. Nobody has been asking for that and nobody ****ing wants it.

Personally, I'm all for taking a whizz on Steve Job's grave.

 

[alFR]

Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned.

Why are you doubling down on this when:

• You have no named source (not even “according to people familiar with the matter”)
• John Gruber says it’s not true, citing sources inside the Vision Projects Group:

I know for a fact that it is not true that the teams working on the Vision platform have “been redistributed to other teams within Apple.”

Yes, Gurman reported on some of the people in teams responsible for the original design of the headset being reassigned a year ago, but Gruber has an explanation for that too:

And then at some point the hardware went under Apple’s hardware group (led by John Ternus) and the software under the software group (led by Craig Federighi). So there have been changes, yes, but only the sort of changes that are natural when a product shifts from being a secret to being one of Apple’s regular non-secret platforms.

Still, makes good clickbait eh?

 

[zenmacx]

Vision Pro?

The market has spoken.

 

[Zwhaler]

Samsung has been making curved edge screens for a long time, wayyy back starting with the Galaxy Note Edge, followed by the Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S7 Edge, etc. This was a fantastic era of phones in my opinion. Very excited to see what Apple comes up with as the tech has come a long way in 10 years.

 

[TheAngryKiwi]

Why are you doubling down on this when:

• You have no named source (not even “according to people familiar with the matter”)
• John Gruber says it’s not true, citing sources inside the Vision Projects Group:

Yes, Gurman reported on some of the people in teams responsible for the original design of the headset being reassigned a year ago, but Gruber has an explanation for that too:

Still, makes good clickbait eh?

Dan Moren at Six Colors has also called this story out, with his own sources.

Time to put up or shut up MR.

 

[numberfive]

gurman is a clown, none of those ultras are happening

 

[tucupeis]

the fact that they put the ultra tag on the mb means higher price. Dropping the vision without even launching it in all countries is pretty bad. the iFold? completely out of market scope. the monthly payments for dev service ? nobody asked for it. tried watching ted lasso when it first came out and didnt caught me or anybody in my family. on top of that theres no mini or mac studio in the horizon. bad times for apple fans

 

[71Games]

Vision Pro was dead on arrival, but I guess people at Apple live in their own bubble. I wouldn't put it on my head for free. Pricing of that 'thing' was also a big mistake to put it mildly.

If Apple wants to call new macbooks Ultra that's ok, but more price rises is a stupid idea. Macbook pro is already way too expensive for many people. I never had a pro and probably never will, not to mention even more expensive Ultra.

 

[I7guy]

Why are you doubling down on this when:

• You have no named source (not even “according to people familiar with the matter”)
• John Gruber says it’s not true, citing sources inside the Vision Projects Group:

Yes, Gurman reported on some of the people in teams responsible for the original design of the headset being reassigned a year ago, but Gruber has an explanation for that too:

Still, makes good clickbait eh?

Hey, this is still a rumors still. Nothing wrong with doubling down on a rumor. I personally would be surprised, but let those who believe they predicted this moment bask in their glory for a while.

 

[benwiggy]

Given the whole Liquid Glass thing was driven from the Vision's UI, with translucent controls floating on top of "reality", can we consign that to oblivion, too...?

 

[foobarbaz]

With regard to Vision Pro, put the battery, WiFi and BlueTooth on the users waist.

The technology is just not energy efficient enough for the current design. I will never wear a battery brick on my head because of the weight and my health is just too valuable for long term radio transmitters setting next to my brain.

The battery pack already isn't on the head and tens of millions of people put AirPods directly into their ear.

So I'm sure this isn't the reason.

 

[SpinningBeachball]

You can call it Ultra all you want, but I don't want a touchscreen Mac. Nobody has been asking for that and nobody ****ing wants it.

Want: a touchscreen Mac with Apple Pencil support and a 360 hinge, so I can use it like I use my iPad whenever I want. Don’t want and won’t pay extra for: a touchscreen Mac that just makes the screen an extension of the trackpad. Will be a huge disappointment if this is the best they can do after making us wait this long and a product setup to fail.