Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that new high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook models — rumored to use the "MacBook Ultra" name — are "on track" to launch "between the end of this year and early next year."
"Internally, Apple is currently testing the laptops with macOS 27.1, which is scheduled for release to consumers at the end of October," he said.
Up to six new features have been rumored so far, including an OLED display, touch-screen support, a Dynamic Island, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner design, and potentially Apple's next-generation C2 modem for built-in cellular connectivity.
Apple last redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2021, when the M1 Pro and M1 Max models launched, so the MacBook Ultra would be its first redesigned high-end laptop in at least five years, and many customers are holding out for it.
Here is what to expect from the MacBook Ultra.
OLED Display
The MacBook Ultra is expected to be Apple's first laptop with an OLED display.
All existing MacBooks have LCD displays, with newer MacBook Pro models offering mini-LED backlighting. The move to OLED technology would result in improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.
All of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro models that Apple sells today are already equipped with OLED displays, excluding refurbished models.
Touch Screen
Not only will the MacBook Ultra be moving to OLED, but the display is expected to have touch-screen capabilities too. This functionality would allow Mac users to use both their fingers and a keyboard and mouse/trackpad for input. macOS Golden Gate will have touch-screen optimizations on the MacBook Ultra, and there are already hints of it.
Steve Jobs said that a touch-screen Mac would cause arm fatigue, but he made that comment a long time ago, and Apple does reverse course from time to time.
Dynamic Island
Yet another display-related change rumored for the MacBook Ultra is a hole-punch camera, and this will pave the way for a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.
With a Dynamic Island, the MacBook Ultra would be another step towards a truly edge-to-edge display with thin bezels. Like on the iPhone, the Dynamic Island would display things such as low battery life alerts and AirPods connection indicators in the area surrounding the camera at the top-center part of the screen.
M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips
While it was initially reported that the MacBook Ultra would be powered by Apple's next-generation M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, manufactured with TSMC's latest 2nm process, the latest word is that the laptop will actually use the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple apparently plans to skip M6 Pro and M6 Max chips altogether.
Thinner Design
The MacBook Ultra is expected to have a thinner design compared to the MacBook Pro.
The move from LCD with mini-LED backlighting to OLED would contribute to the thinner design, and there could be other changes that help to slim things down.
As of now, there has been no indication that Apple plans to once again remove ports like HDMI, MagSafe, or the SD card slot in order to achieve this thinner design, but we shall see. That was a very unpopular decision the last time it happened.
Cellular
Macs can already connect to a cellular network via the Personal Hotspot feature on a nearby iPhone or iPad, but Apple has reportedly at least considered built-in cellular connectivity for future Macs. If it happens, the MacBook Ultra would likely be equipped with Apple's existing C1X modem or next-generation C2 modem for 5G.
