Apple MacBook Ultra may arrive sooner than expected. The new OLED model is said to come in two sizes

A touchscreen MacBook with an OLED display is one of those devices that has been talked about for so long that we almost stopped believing it would ever arrive. Apple resisted touch control on Macs for years, arguing that macOS wasn’t designed for it, and reserved OLED panels for iPhones and iPads. But now it looks like the overhaul that fans have been waiting for since the first Mac with an Apple Silicon chip could come significantly sooner than recently estimated. This was revealed by a fresh report from analytics firm Omdia, which came out just days after Microsoft unveiled its premium Surface Laptop Ultra. We previously informed you about the upcoming MacBook Ultra, but now we have some new tidbits.

Premiere possibly as early as September

The timing is the most surprising. Research firm Omdia, in its report on OLED display demand, states that Samsung will begin supplying panels for the MacBook as early as July, and the devices themselves are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2026. Given that Apple typically doesn’t introduce major hardware in July or August, this would most likely mean a September premiere in practice. The MacBook Ultra could thus theoretically appear on the same stage as the rumored foldable iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro.

However, some caution is warranted here. Previous estimates pointed more towards late 2026, or even early 2027, and AppleInsider notes that the September timeframe contradicts the timelines of more reliable leakers. Furthermore, September traditionally belongs to new iPhones and Apple Watch, so it’s questionable whether Apple would want to share the year’s biggest launch with a notebook. The Omdia report is therefore an interesting signal, not a confirmed date.

Larger Displays and Hybrid OLED

The report mentions two screen sizes, namely 14.3″ and 16.3″. The current MacBook Pro offers diagonals of 14.2″ and 16.2″, so either this is a slight rounding, or the displays will indeed be slightly larger, likely due to thinner bezels. The main change, however, is the panel technology itself.

Apple MacBook Ultra may arrive sooner than expected. The new OLED model is said to come in two sizes Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

According to Omdia, Apple is expected to opt for a hybrid OLED, which combines oxide TFT and RGB tandem. Jerry Kang from Omdia states that this combination is intended to reduce power consumption compared to conventional LTPO and single-layer RGB OLED panels. Apple already uses a similar solution in iPad Pros, where it provides higher brightness, better energy efficiency, and longer lifespan than classic single-layer OLED. The manufacturer is expected to implement it in a 14 and 16-inch notebook for the first time. Lower power consumption is crucial, as Apple wants to make the body thinner and lighter without sacrificing the battery life we’ve come to expect from Apple Silicon.

What We Already Knew About the MacBook Ultra

Let’s recall what was previously said about the new device. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it will be the first Mac ever with a touchscreen display. The notch is expected to be replaced by the Dynamic Island adopted from iPhones, the body is said to be thinner and lighter than today’s Pro models, and it will be powered by M6 Pro and M6 Max chips.

The machine is not intended to replace current models with M5 Pro/Max, but rather to sit above them, which is why there’s speculation about the name MacBook Ultra, following the example of the Apple Watch Ultra. However, Gurman adds that Apple could easily stick with the established MacBook Pro name. With a higher position in the lineup, we can also expect a higher price. Earlier estimates spoke of a price roughly 20% higher than current Pro models, and if we assume that the 14″ MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at 51,990 CZK, the premium variant could be around 62,000 CZK for the base model.

The Main Rival Is Already Here

While the MacBook Ultra remains in the realm of leaks, its arguably most serious competitor is already officially out. At Computex 2026, Microsoft showcased the Surface Laptop Ultra, its most powerful notebook ever. It is powered by an NVIDIA RTX Spark chip built on ARM architecture, offers up to 128 GB of unified memory, a 15″ mini-LED display with brightness up to 2,000 nits, and extensive port connectivity including HDMI, USB-A, and an SD card reader. It is expected to go on sale in autumn 2026.

Both machines are thus targeting the premium segment and are expected to arrive in the second half of the year, but their philosophies differ. Microsoft relies on raw power for local AI model execution and creative work in Windows, while Apple focuses on a combination of a thin body, touch-enabled OLED, and macOS efficiency. The battle of MacBook Ultra versus Surface Laptop Ultra will therefore largely be about which operating system and type of performance the user prefers.

Would a touchscreen MacBook with an OLED display appeal to you, or do you prefer a classic design?

Sources: Omdia, 9to5Mac, Notebookcheck, AppleInsider