MacBook Ultra: Apple's Touchscreen Mac Isn't a MacBook Pro Redesign Anymore — It's a New Tier

Our earlier coverage of the M6 MacBook Pro described Apple's OLED touchscreen redesign as having slipped to 2027. Reporting since has moved in the opposite direction: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Ming-Chi Kuo, research firm Omdia, and leaker Instant Digital have all converged on the same story, and as of this week 9to5Mac and Appleosophy both describe the launch as roughly two months out. It's also, according to Gurman, not a MacBook Pro redesign at all — it's an entirely new top-tier product called the MacBook Ultra.

A New Tier, Not a Replacement

Gurman first reported this reframing back in March: rather than the OLED, touchscreen laptop succeeding the current M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, it's a distinct new machine sitting above them — with the existing MacBook Pro lineup expected to remain on sale rather than being discontinued. MacRumors notes the "Ultra" branding itself isn't a certainty; Apple could still opt to keep the MacBook Pro name and position the touchscreen model as a high-end variant within that existing line instead.

The Chip Plan Quietly Changed

This is the detail our earlier M6 MacBook Pro coverage didn't have, because the reporting itself has shifted since: Bloomberg now says Apple has scrapped M6 Pro and M6 Max chips entirely, accelerating development of the higher-end M7 generation instead. That leaves a gap for this year's touchscreen model, which MacRumors reports will use the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips already shipping in current MacBook Pros, rather than waiting for M6-series silicon that reportedly no longer exists in Pro/Max form. A second-generation MacBook Ultra, expected in late 2027 or early 2028, would then move to M7 Pro and M7 Max.

First Touchscreen, First OLED, on a Mac

Notebookcheck's reporting on Omdia's supply-chain research describes 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch models using a "hybrid OLED" architecture — oxide TFT combined with RGB tandem OLED — specifically chosen to improve power efficiency over a standard LTPO or single-layer OLED panel, according to Omdia practice leader Jerry Kang. 9to5Mac adds that Apple is adding touch as a secondary input method alongside the keyboard and trackpad, not a replacement for either, and that the design is expected to adopt an iPhone-style Dynamic Island cutout rather than the current notch.

Timing and Price

Samsung is reportedly scheduled to begin supplying display panels as early as July 2026, and Omdia's report explicitly places the MacBook Ultra launch in Q3 2026 — potentially putting it on a similar timeline to the September iPhone 18 Pro event, though Engadget's reporting argues Apple rarely launches MacBooks and iPhones at the same event and expects the MacBook Ultra to get its own dedicated launch later in the year instead. On price, MacRumors notes Apple already raised MacBook Pro prices by $300 in June 2026 (the 14-inch M5 Pro model now starts at $2,499), and expects the MacBook Ultra to price meaningfully above even that.

Apple has not confirmed the MacBook Ultra, its name, specifications, or a launch date. Everything in this article is drawn from analyst and supply-chain reporting and remains unverified until Apple's official announcement.