This week, Apple revealed new MacBook Pro models powered by the freshly introduced M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The latest Macs can be pre-ordered now and will be available in stores on Wednesday, March 11. Therefore, it may come as a surprise that Apple is anticipated to launch an even more substantial MacBook Pro upgrade — potentially a MacBook Ultra — in 2026.
## Premium MacBook Pro with touchscreen and OLED still slated for 2026 release
After the official M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro announcement last week, Mark Gurman reports in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg today that “the high-end MacBook with a touchscreen and OLED is scheduled for release around year-end.”
This device will mark the first Mac to feature both a touchscreen and an OLED display. These are both hardware elements from the iPad Pro and currently do not exist in the Mac lineup.
The speculated MacBook Pro update is likewise expected to operate on the M6 Pro/Max chip. Apple has only just introduced the M5 Pro/Max chip in what is otherwise a routine refresh of the MacBook Pro.
However, this wouldn’t be the first occasion Apple has launched two new M-series chip upgrades for the MacBook Pro within a single year. Nonetheless, Apple could be cutting it closer than the last time this occurred.
## Apple upgraded the MacBook Pro twice in 2023
On January 17, 2023, Apple introduced the M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pro. 286 days later, Apple unveiled the M3 Pro/Max MacBook Pro on October 30, 2023.
If Apple were to announce the M6 Pro/Max MacBook Pro following the same schedule, we would expect an announcement on December 14 this year. Traditionally, Apple has made several Mac announcements early in the year that were subsequently launched in December. The 2019 Mac Pro, 2017 iMac Pro, and 2013 Mac Pro come to mind.
However, even if Apple were to get inventive and label the first touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro something new like MacBook Ultra and charge a premium for it, it would still essentially be a revamped MacBook Pro. The higher base price linked with the incorporation of OLED and touch implies the new Mac may not replace the model introduced this week.
Gurman actually mentions this in his newsletter today:
“…these forthcoming laptops will probably sit above the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, instead of replacing them. While Apple might retain the traditional MacBook Pro name, a “MacBook Ultra” designation would more distinctly indicate their place at the top of the lineup. One thing is clear: Apple, once again, is firmly moving upmarket.”
Thus, despite just announcing new MacBook Pro models, it doesn’t seem implausible for Apple to break its 286-day record and possibly make an announcement in November, assuming the high-end MacBook Pro is ready by that time.
There remains the possibility that circumstances could change between now and then, and this new device may shift to a 2027 product release. Fortunately, for the moment, that isn’t the current expectation.