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On this week’s episode of the MacRumors Show, we discuss the future of the increasingly controversial MacBook lineup, including the entry-level MacBook Pro and the rumored “MacBook Ultra.”<\/p>\n
Apple’s Mac roadmap will reportedly take an unusual turn next year. The company is said to be skipping the M6 \u200b\u200bPro and M6 Max altogether, jumping from the M5 generation straight to the M7 for its flagship laptops. The standard M6 chip is still coming this year to the entry-level MacBook Pro, but apparently there won’t be a Pro or Max variant in that family.<\/p>\n
As a result, Apple’s first high-end OLED laptop will use the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than new silicon. So first-generation buyers will be paying a premium for a redesigned machine with the same processors already found in the current MacBook Pro, with the M7 Pro and M7 Max models expected to follow in the second half of 2027.<\/p>\n
The opening window is always wet. The device was long expected to arrive in late 2026, but memory chip constraints and Apple’s recent price hike have pushed it to early 2027. The second-generation model with M7 chips is already planned for late 2027, which means that the first Ultra could always go on sale in a much shorter window.<\/p>\n
Overlapping emissions make for a crowded and confusing road. In about a year, Apple is expected to ship the base M6 \u200cMacBook Pro, the redesigned M7 model in the first half of 2027, the two models M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Ultra, the successors of the M7 Pro and M7 Max, and the new high-end MacBook Pro models with the M7 Pro and M7 Max. Notably, the entry-level M7 model is set to get the new design first, ahead of the higher-end MacBook Pro models.<\/p>\n
Title changes are reserved for the high-end “Ultra” model. It is expected to be the first Mac with an OLED display, using the same OLED tandem hybrid technology as the iPad Pro, as well as the first touchscreen on a Mac, a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, and a thinner chassis. Both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes are expected. Built-in cellular connectivity for the first time on the Mac is also rumored.<\/p>\n
Apple is reportedly positioning touch as “touch-friendly, not touch-first,” allowing users to move between the touchpad, trackpad, and keyboard instead of handling the Mac like an iPad. That marks a turnaround for a company that has long resisted the idea. Steve Jobs argued in 2010 that vertical touchscreens cause arm fatigue, and as recently as 2021 hardware chief John Ternus said the Mac is “perfectly optimized for indirect input.”<\/p>\n
Signs of change are already visible in macOS 27 Golden Gate, which adds direct touch control to Sidecar, so users can tap and interact with macOS objects using a finger on the iPad. A reinforced hinge is also expected, so that the display does not wobble when tapping. <\/p>\n
The price will probably go up. Apple raised prices across the entire Mac lineup in June, with the current 14-inch MacBook Pro now starting at $1,999, rising to $2,499 for the M5 Pro chip and $4,099 for the M5 Max. The 16-inch M5 Max tops out at $4,399, and the fully-specced configuration already tops $10,000. The top OLED model is expected to start higher still. <\/p>\n
The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips.<\/p>\n
You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly to your player.<\/p>\n