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MacBook Ultra rumors: What to expect including the touchscreen, chips, release date and more
We're tracking all the latest reports, including the launch date and potential price.
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.