MacBook Ultra: 5 Features That Could Justify the Name
Reports and rumors suggest the next Mac Book Pro that Apple will release might not be a Mac Book Pro at all. It could actually be something altogether new and more exciting – a "Mac Book Ultra" – positioned above the Pro as Apple's top-tier laptop, suggesting that the current M5 Pro and M5 Max models will remain on sale when it launches. The Mac Book would be just the latest Apple product to carry the Ultra name, which already spans the Apple Watch Ultra and Car Play Ultra (not forgetting Apple's top-end Ultra-designated silicon chips). This is likely to bring a markedly higher price point for the new machines. It fits into a broader trend at Apple, where the company is seeking to offer more models at more price points, such as the new MacBook Neo at an unprecedented $599 price point. Below, we've listed the features we are expecting in the MacBook Ultra, which is likely to go on sale either later this year or in early 2027. As things stand, the latter time frame is now looking more likely, owing to the global memory chip shortage. 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, and the supplier has invested heavily in an 8.6-generation OLED production line in South Korea. The line recently reached a key milestone for mass production. The MacBook Pro will utilize hybrid OLED technology, similar to that used in Apple's latest iPad Pro. This display technology combines a glass substrate with thin-film encapsulation, offering improved brightness, contrast, and power efficiency compared to current MacBook Pro models, which use LCD displays with mini-LED backlighting. Touch Screen 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 previou