Apple could be preparing to push MacBook performance into entirely new territory, with a new prediction suggesting the company’s rumored flagship MacBook Ultra may be offered with an M5 Ultra chip.
Research firm Omdia analyst David Hsieh has predicted that Apple’s upcoming high-end OLED MacBooks could include an M5 Ultra configuration, according to MacRumors. If accurate, it would mark the first time Apple has brought an Ultra-class Apple silicon chip to a notebook.
Ultra chips have so far been reserved for Apple’s most powerful desktop Macs, where there is considerably more room for cooling and higher sustained power consumption. Bringing that level of silicon to a portable Mac would therefore represent a significant engineering change and potentially create a much larger performance gap between Apple’s standard MacBook Pro and its flagship laptop.
The prediction also adds weight to speculation that Apple could use the MacBook Ultra name for its upcoming premium notebooks. Rather than replacing the existing MacBook Pro outright, the new machines are expected to sit above it, combining OLED displays and a redesigned chassis with higher-end hardware.
There is reason to treat the M5 Ultra claim cautiously. Previous reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has pointed specifically to M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for Apple’s first OLED high-end MacBooks, without mentioning an Ultra configuration. Apple has also never shipped an Ultra chip in a MacBook.
An M5 Ultra itself is nevertheless expected to become part of Apple’s silicon lineup. The chip has been linked to a future Mac Studio refresh, while Apple is reportedly taking the unusual step of skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max as it accelerates development of its AI-focused M7 family.
The Apple Post previously reported on Apple’s extensive Mac roadmap, which includes major changes to its high-end notebooks alongside new Mac mini, Mac Studio, MacBook Air and iMac models.
Apple’s OLED MacBooks are currently expected either later this year or in early 2027.