What To Expect Including The Touchscreen, Chips, Release Date And More

Steve Jobs famously said that a touchscreen on a MacBook is “ergonomically terrible” and “doesn’t work.” Apple has apparently changed its tune, though. A rumored flagship model dubbed “MacBook Ultra” could be the company’s first laptop with an OLED touchscreen, promising a lighter design with high performance for creators. This device would go up against Windows touchscreen laptops, giving Apple access to a key market segment it has never touched before.

Recent reports and supply chain leaks have started to paint a picture of what the MacBook Ultra could look like. Below, we’ve rounded up the most credible rumors around features, pricing and the launch date, and we’ll keep this guide updated as new details emerge. Lots of things could change ahead of any launch, of course, including timelines and specs.

Rumors about a touchscreen MacBook started circulating early in 2023, following a Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman. Numerous other leaks followed, and now it looks like 14- and 16-inch models (code-named K114 and K116) will arrive sometime in 2026. So why the change of heart since Jobs weighed in? Admittedly, basically everything in the tech industry has changed since then. Only Apple knows for sure, but it seems like the company finally wants to plug a big hole in its laptop lineup. 

Many artists need a touchscreen for drawing, masking, 3D and other work not easily done with a mouse. To date, those folks had to go buy Windows touchscreen laptops, often detachable or 360 models that fold flat with the display out. 

Apple’s only touchscreen option is the iPad, which is underpowered compared to high-end PCs. iPadOS is also missing key creative apps like Blender, while others including DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Photoshop are stripped back compared to the macOS versions. Considering that Apple devices are seen as artist-friendly, it’s weird that the company has never offered anything in this segment.

Steady leaks since the initial report have added credence that MacBook Ultra was coming. But when? The company has reportedly settled on on a launch some time in the second half of 2026, likely near the end of the year, according to two key sources.

Bloomberg‘s Gurman has gone back and forth, most recently saying that the MacBook Ultra would arrive “late this year and early next year,” according to his report from Friday. That jibes with a separate leak from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said last year that a touch display MacBook Pro would “enter mass production by late 2026.” 

That means that the MacBook Ultra could be the “one more thing” at a launch this year. That’s unlikely to be September’s iPhone 18 event (where the rumored iPhone Fold could also be revealed), since Apple rarely launches MacBooks and iPhones together. The MacBook Ultra more likely merits its own big launch, perhaps a bit later in the year. Again, keep in mind that the situation may change and the new models could be further delayed or even cancelled. 

The MacBook Ultra’s key feature will be an all-new OLED touch display offering more accurate colors and deeper blacks than the MiniLED and LCD displays on current MacBook models. It will also be thinner, lighter and more energy efficient. Apple will reportedly replace the MacBook Pro’s rectangular display notch with a “Dynamic Island” cutout like the pill-shaped one on an iPhone, covering a tiny hole-punch front camera, according to Gurman.  

The key update, though, is the “touch” part. The new model will support multi-touch exactly like an iPad Pro or iPhone. Touching a button or control will supposedly bring up a new type of menu surrounding your fingers with context-sensitive options. It will also display controls based on your prior interactions, and enlarge them for easier selection. The touch display may support Apple Pencil, according to some rumors, but nothing about that has been mentioned recently.

Apple doesn’t plan to position the MacBook Ultra as an iPad replacement or even a touch-first experience, though. Rather, it wants to let customers use touch as one of several input options, so the MacBook Ultra will still of course have a keyboard and touchpad. 

With the new OLED display, the MacBook Ultra is likely to be thinner and lighter than past models. Other design elements are not yet known, though Bloomberg has said that the new model is a “total redesign” over previous MacBooks. 

The MacBook Ultra’s performance picture recently became clearer with another recent leak from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Rather than next-gen M6 Silicon, Apple will use its current M5 Pro and M5 Ultra chips in the first model. It will then skip over the M6 and employ the upcoming AI-focused M7 chips for the second-generation model. 

The reason is that Apple reportedly has no plans to build high-end M6 Pro or M6 Max chips — only a basic M6 processor that wouldn’t be appropriate for a flagship like the MacBook Ultra. That way, the company can fast-track its M7 chips, which will offer more advanced graphics and AI capabilities. Once those chips roll out (reportedly in 2027), they’ll appear in the next-gen MacBook Ultra. 

With the same chips but a more power-efficient OLED display, the MacBook Ultra should perform as well as current MacBook Pro models but could be even more battery-friendly. That would be impressive, considering the current 16-inch MacBook Pro can run for just over 30 hours on a charge. 

The MacBook Ultra could also be the first Apple laptop with native cellular support. Instead of needing to roam on Wi-Fi or connect to a hotspot, the new model could include built-in 5G connectivity via Apple’s own modem technology. 

With the flagship designation and OLED touch display, along with ever-rising memory prices, the MacBook Ultra is likely to be the company’s most expensive MacBook to date. The current 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros start at $1,999 and $2,999 respectively, so expect the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Ultra models to be priced well above that. 

Despite all the leaks, there’s still plenty we need to learn about Apple’s touchscreen laptop including the name, because “MacBook Ultra” has never been officially confirmed. And as mentioned, changes could happen ahead of the official launch. Still, with the iPhone Fold, things are looking good for not just one but two of Apple’s most significant product launches in years.