[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Apple may unveil a new laptop, the 'MacBook Ultra,' this fall.

The product is expected to feature a new design that is thinner and lighter than the existing MacBook Pro, and to serve as part of an expansion of Apple’s 'Ultra' lineup, according to IT outlet 9to5Mac on Aug. 20 (local time).

A sweeping overhaul of the hardware design is being cited as the biggest change. Bloomberg said the new MacBook model would amount to a “complete redesign” and become thinner and lighter than the current MacBook Pro. There had been speculation it would be released as a redesigned MacBook Pro, but more recently expectations have shifted toward the MacBook Ultra branding.

How thin and light the design will be remains unclear. Reports have also raised the possibility of fewer ports than the MacBook Pro, but there is also a view that Apple will not push that too far because the product is likely to target professional users.

On performance, it has become more likely the device will use the M5 Pro and M5 Max rather than the next-generation M6 Pro and M6 Max. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple is scrapping plans for the M6 Pro and M6 Max and moving up development of higher-end M7 chips. That has led to speculation that this year’s model will keep the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max used in the MacBook Pro, with the M7 line potentially applied to later models.

Another key point is the possible introduction of touch input on a Mac for the first time. Gurman said Apple plans to add touch to Macs, but views it as an “auxiliary input method” rather than a replacement for the keyboard and trackpad. macOS Golden Gate is expected to support more convenient touch controls while being optimized so users without a touchscreen can use it without inconvenience.

The MacBook Ultra is expected to be the first in the Mac lineup to adopt OLED. OLED can deliver deeper blacks, higher contrast and improved viewing angles, and is also expected to improve battery life. All iPhone models already use OLED, and the iPad Pro introduced tandem OLED in 2024, meaning Macs have been the exception until now.

The front camera design is also expected to change. The notch used on the 2021 MacBook Pro is expected to disappear, with the new product likely to use a hole-punch camera cutout. On the software side, there are reports that a Dynamic Island could be added. It could hide the camera area in software, like the iPhone, while also serving as a new space for displaying information in macOS. The space has also been cited as potentially serving as a base for Siri AI.

A cellular model also remains possible. Apple has not released a Mac that supports cellular, but speculation has emerged that it could expand to Macs as the C2 modem is discussed as potentially being applied to the iPhone 18 Pro this fall. There is no guarantee that cellular will be added to Macs this year.

If the product is released under the name MacBook Ultra, the focus of the changes is likely to be less about simple specification upgrades and more about reworking input methods, display technology and the overall physical design of Mac laptops. How Apple will differentiate it from the MacBook Pro and how it will shape a product strategy aimed at professional users are expected to be key points to watch this fall.