Reports: Apple plans a new MacBook Ultra with touchscreen and OLED display

Rather than replacing the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, the Ultra is expected to be a separate, higher-tier option.

Reports and rumors suggest the next high-end MacBook Pro that Apple will release might not be a ‌MacBook Pro‌ at all. It could actually be something altogether new and more exciting – a "MacBook Ultra" – marketed as the company's top-tier laptop offering. The device is likely to sit above the current M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, rather than replace them, suggesting that they will remain on sale. One thing to state up front is that Apple is expected to stick with the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for its touchscreen "Ultra" model. Apple reportedly plans to skip what would have been the "M6 Pro" and "M6 Max" for more powerful "M7 Pro" and "M7 Max" chips. A new entry-level ‌MacBook Pro‌ with the M6 chip is still expected to launch later this year, while the second-generation MacBook Ultra will adopt M7 chip architecture when it arrives later in 2027. In his latest report, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman does not specify a release date for the first MacBook Ultra models, but the wording of his summary of upcoming Macs implies that it could still arrive between October and December this year, barring delays due to the global memory chip shortage. Below, we've listed the features and changes we are expecting for the MacBook Ultra. OLED Display Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo say Apple is readying OLED technology for these models, and industry reports corroborate their claims. Samsung Display is said to be making the panels exclusively, and the supplier has invested heavily in an 8.6-generation OLED production line in South Korea. The line reached a key milestone for mass production in May. OLED presents an overall upgrade over the current mini-LED display technology, bringing deeper colors and a higher contrast ratio with true blacks. In an OLED display, individual pixels turn off instead of dimming when not activated, so there's less light leakage and better power efficiency. OLED displays also tend to have better HDR ouptut than mini-LED, but they don't always match mini-LED brightness levels. Touchscreen The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ is expected to become the first Mac to support touch input directly on the display. It's a notable shift from Apple's longstanding position against bringing touchscreen functionality to the Mac. Apple previously experimented with touch controls through the OLED Touch Bar on earlier ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, but the feature was ultimately discontinued following a lukewarm reception. Rather than positioning the ‌MacBook Pro‌ as a touch-centric device like the ‌iPad‌, Apple is reportedly planning to let users move seamlessly between touch and traditional trackpad or mouse input across the system. 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 also 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. Reinforced Hinge Apple has reportedly developed a reinforced hinge and screen hardware to prevent the display from bouncing back or moving when touched. Apple is apparently aware of the same issue that plagues existing touch PCs. Thinner Design Gurman has reported that Apple is working to make the OLED MacBook Pro significantly thinner, as part of the company's plan to create "the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry." (Think the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air – two of the thinnest devices the company has ever made.) Indeed, the reporter has said there's a good chance that the next MacBook Pro model will represent a "true overhaul" for the laptop, thanks to the combination of the OLED display and thinner design. Notably, the MacBook Pro got thicker and heavier with its most recent redesign in 2021. A major highlight was the reintroduction of several ports that were removed in previous iterations in favor of chassis thinness. How Apple will make its redesigned MacBook Pro thinner without removing the functionality it reintroduced fairly recently is the big question. Dynamic Island The MacBook Ultra could ditch the current notch used in the MacBook Pro models for a display cutout potentially similar to the iPhone's Dynamic Island, according to Bloomberg. Such a move would mirror Apple's iPhone evolution, since the iPhone's notch became the current Dynamic Island starting with the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. As with the iPhone‌, the Mac ‌Dynamic Island‌ will be interactive and it will contextually expand based on the app or Mac feature in use. The change should address long-standing user complaints about the notch, which physically ingresses into the macOS menu bar. Price Changes There is no doubt that Apple will unveil the MacBook Ultra as an ultra-premium product carrying a price tag that is higher than the current MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models. Apple increased the prices of all its Macs in June 2026 – MacBook Pro‌ pricing went up $300 – so the MacBook Ultra will likely be even more expensive than expected. ‌ For what it's worth, the higher-end 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M5 Pro chip starts at $2,499 after the price increase, while the 16-inch M5 Pro ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,999. Related Roundup: MacBook ProTag: MacBook UltraBuyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook ProThis article, "'MacBook Ultra' Coming Soon With Touchscreen and 5 Other Changes" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums