Apple's first touchscreen MacBook will launch with M5 chips, not M7
Apple's first touchscreen MacBook is coming, and it won't wait for next-generation chips. Bloomberg reports that the MacBook Ultra — set to launch late 2026 or early 2027 — will ship with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than the upcoming M7 series. A memory chip shortage has pushed the window back from Q4 2026 to Q1 2027, but Apple is pressing ahead rather than waiting.
The chip call
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg confirmed Apple is skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max entirely — those chips were quietly canceled. The MacBook Ultra will debut on M5 Pro/Max, then a more powerful M7-based refresh is expected sometime in late 2027. It's a pragmatic move: getting a landmark product to market now rather than holding for a chip generation that isn't ready.
What's new
The MacBook Ultra sits above the MacBook Pro in Apple's lineup and introduces two features the Mac has never had: a touchscreen and an OLED display. Samsung Display is manufacturing 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch tandem OLED panels, with supply beginning in June 2026. Tandem OLED stacks two emissive layers to boost brightness and extend panel life — the same technology Apple used in the iPad Pro.
The design is also getting a refresh. Expect a thinner chassis and Dynamic Island replacing the notch, borrowing the pill-shaped cutout from the iPhone.
Price and availability
No official pricing has been confirmed. Based on Apple's own precedent — the iPad Pro OLED carried roughly a 20% premium over the LCD model it replaced — the MacBook Ultra could land somewhere around $2,200–$2,400 at the base. That would undercut some Dell XPS 17 OLED configurations while sitting well above the current MacBook Pro 14-inch. Availability in the US and UK is expected in Q1 2027, supply constraints permitting.
The MacBook Ultra is part of a broader Apple push into a premium hardware tier that also includes a foldable iPhone and AirPods with built-in cameras. A touchscreen Mac has been rumored for years; this appears to be the version that actually ships.
