[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] With speculation rising that Apple could keep its current mini-LED MacBook Pro until 2028, observers say its next OLED-based high-end laptop could be split off as a separate "MacBook Ultra" and carry a higher-than-expected price.

On Sept. 6 (local time), IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that market research firm Omdia expects Apple to continue producing the mini-LED display panels used in the current MacBook Pro through 2028.

The key to the outlook is that Apple could sell the existing MacBook Pro alongside the next redesigned model for a period. The outlet noted, "If the current MacBook Pro remains in the lineup, the redesigned model is likely to carry a significant price premium." That would allow Apple to keep existing products at entry or mid-tier pricing while separating the new OLED model into a higher tier.

That could also mean a different product name. The next MacBook Pro, which has been discussed as possibly featuring OLED, a thinner chassis, the Mac's first touchscreen and a possible Dynamic Island, could in fact carry a separate brand name of "MacBook Ultra." The outlet said these signs make it "more plausible that both MacBook Pro and MacBook Ultra are in the lineup."

Initially, it was unclear whether the 14-inch base MacBook Pro would keep the MacBook Pro name and only the higher-end redesigned model would be released separately. But as views emerged that Apple could bring some new design elements down to the base MacBook Pro in later generations, some interpreted that the need for the Ultra name had weakened. This time, the added premise that the existing mini-LED product remains creates grounds to distinguish the new and existing models from the name upward.

The expected lineup has also been reshaped in that direction. As of this fall, a configuration has been floated that includes MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, a mini-LED 14-inch MacBook Pro, mini-LED 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and OLED 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Ultra models. For next spring, a picture has been presented in which some base MacBook Pro models move to OLED, while a mini-LED-based higher-end MacBook Pro remains for some time.

Prices could naturally split as well. The outlet said, "The period in which older MacBook Pro models remain in the lineup will not be long," but viewed it as a strategy Apple could use to keep starting prices low as it has in the past. It estimated the mini-LED MacBook Pro could start around $2,499, while the Ultra could start at a price higher than $2,999. It added the figures are not confirmed information but scenario-level projections.

The trend shows Apple may do more than simply add a new product, and could further segment its MacBook lineup by price and features. A key variable is the likelihood that Apple does not complete the display-technology transition at once, instead keeping the existing mini-LED products while strengthening the premium positioning of the new OLED models.

A key point to watch is how Apple actually settles product names when it unveils its next MacBook, expected next month. If it keeps the existing MacBook Pro while pushing the new OLED model as a separate higher-end brand, MacBook Ultra could become a premium model distinguished not only by design changes but also by price.