Apple MacBook Ultra with OLED touchscreen won't replace MacBook Pro, is said to be more expensive

Rumors have been circulating for months according to which Apple will present a brand new MacBook Pro ($1,724 on Amazon) in fall 2026, which will have a new design for the first time since the launch of the MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max in October 2021. Now Bloomberg reports for the first time that this new model will not replace the MacBook Pro with Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max presented on Tuesday.

Instead, the new model will allegedly be offered as a more expensive alternative. For this reason, Bloomberg editor Mark Gurman speculates that Apple could market this notebook as a MacBook Ultra to better differentiate the two model lines. The bad news is that this MacBook Ultra is expected to be significantly more expensive than the current MacBook Pro. According to Bloomberg, a price increase similar to that of the iPad Pro would be possible when the flagship tablet was upgraded from an LCD to an OLED panel, meaning a list price around 20 percent higher.

This would mean that the cheapest 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple M6 Pro would already cost $2,639, while the version with Apple M5 Max would even cost $4,319. The 16-inch MacBook Pro would therefore be offered at prices starting at $3,239  and $4,679 respectively. As usual, such early rumors about the price of new products should be viewed with caution. For the higher price, buyers are rumored to receive an OLED touchscreen for the first time in a Mac. Apple is said to replace the notch with a punch-hole and install a Face ID module that enables secure macOS login via facial recognition.