OLED touchscreen & new design: What to expect from the Apple MacBook Ultra

With Apple having already unveiled its new iPhones and smart home devices, the upcoming October event will focus entirely on Macs and MacBooks. The tech world is particularly eager to see one potential highlight: A new MacBook model with an OLED screen could launch under the name many are already using for it, “MacBook Ultra”. Just like the current MacBook Pro, this premium laptop is expected to come in two sizes (14 and 16 inches).

We expect the MacBook Ultra to be introduced as an additional option alongside the MacBook Pro. However, this exclusive positioning comes at a price, as the new high-end laptop is set to be noticeably more expensive even within the premium segment. The new models are also expected to be even slimmer and lighter. How the processors will be cooled will be particularly interesting.

As we have seen in our reviews of the MacBook Pro models, the cooling system, especially in the 14-inch model, is already at its limits with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which will likely also be used in the MacBook Ultra. However, we do not yet expect an upgrade to the M6 Pro or M6 Max. With even thinner chassis, it is therefore quite possible that raw performance (particularly under sustained load) could actually be slightly lower than on the current MacBook Pro models.

As for the display, we are fairly certain it will feature a tandem OLED touchscreen panel. This would also make it the very first MacBook with a touchscreen. Apple has already gained experience with tandem OLED touchscreens in the iPad Pro, so we fully expect brilliant image quality.

Nevertheless, it will be extremely interesting to see how much of an improvement it actually offers over the current Mini-LED panel. After all, the Mini-LED panels in existing MacBook Pro models remain highly competitive in many areas, even several years after their debut. The display notch is also reportedly set to be replaced by the Dynamic Island familiar from the iPhone, although whether this is an advantage remains to be seen.

We expect few surprises when it comes to the rest of the specifications: The new MacBook will likely once again feature Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7 and an excellent sound system. It could also finally include an integrated 5G cellular modem with eSIM support. This has long been a point of criticism for us, and since Apple now produces its own cellular chips, we consider this upgrade quite realistic.

We will not have to wait much longer to find out for sure, as the Apple event is taking place on October 28. What are you hoping to see from the new MacBook Ultra, and will you buy one or would you rather skip the first generation and get a familiar MacBook Pro or even one of the new Nvidia RTX Spark laptops?

I grew up with modern consumer electronics and my first computer was a Commodore C64, which encouraged my interest in building my own systems. I started working as a review editor for Notebookcheck during my dual studies at Siemens. Currently, I am mainly responsible for dealing with business laptops and mobile workstations. It’s a great experience to be able to review the latest devices and technologies and then compare them with each other.