Apple may be preparing a two-track MacBook lineup for the fall: a brand-new MacBook Ultra with a touchscreen and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, plus an updated MacBook Pro built around the base M6. That would be a sharper split than the usual spec bump, and it suggests Apple is keeping its most ambitious redesign separate from the mainstream Pro line.
The MacBook Ultra appears to be the real headline act. According to information reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, it would use a completely new design and a touchscreen OLED display, while also taking the top spot in Apple’s laptop range. If that sounds a little like Apple quietly testing a more flexible notebook category, that’s because it does – especially after years of resisting touch on Macs.
MacBook Ultra with M5 Pro and M5 Max
The most interesting detail is the chip choice. Apple is said to be using the same M5 Pro and M5 Max processors that were previously associated with the MacBook Pro, which points to a separate premium family rather than a simple replacement. In other words, Apple seems to be reserving the bold hardware changes for a higher-end model while keeping the familiar Pro shape alive for customers who just want faster silicon.
That strategy also fits Apple’s recent playbook. Instead of refreshing everything at once, it has often used overlapping product tiers to keep buyers from waiting around for the ”perfect” machine. Dell and HP have spent years doing something similar on the PC side: one design for the conservative crowd, another for the feature-hungry crowd. Apple, naturally, prefers to charge more for the privilege.
MacBook Pro on base M6
The refreshed MacBook Pro is expected to be more restrained. Apple has reportedly tested it on the base M6 chip, under model index J804, and the machine is slated for release this year. Gurman also said Apple is not planning M6 Pro or M6 Max chips, because development is being pushed toward M7 instead. That leaves the next Pro update looking like a performance step rather than a full-family chip refresh.
- MacBook Ultra: touchscreen, OLED display, new design, M5 Pro and M5 Max
- MacBook Pro: base M6 chip, existing design, model index J804
- No M6 Pro or M6 Max chips planned, with M7 development accelerated instead
Apple’s laptop split is getting clearer
For buyers, the message is simple: Apple may be about to separate ”Pro” from ”ultra-premium” more aggressively than before. If these reports hold, the fall lineup gives the company two very different answers to the same question – one traditional laptop for upgraders, and one touch-enabled flagship for everyone who has been waiting for Apple to loosen its grip on the Mac.
The open question is whether the MacBook Ultra arrives as a true new category or just a one-off halo product. Apple has a habit of turning its most experimental hardware into either a mainstream hit or a very expensive tease, and this one looks poised to test which side of that pattern still wins.