It appears, however, that the touchscreen MacBook will be a new addition to the MacBook Pro lineup, a higher-end model that could fall under Apple’s Ultra branding. Omdia states that “the existing 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch MacBook Pro models with LCD + Mini LED backlighting will not be discontinued,” which means the MacBook Pro lineup, as it is now, will continue, with Apple upgrading the chip on a regular basis.
Surprisingly, and perhaps unbelievably, Omdia predicts that this new model is “highly likely to be equipped with the M5 Ultra chip.” Apple’s M5 ultra chip is only used in the Mac Studio, which includes a complex thermal cooling system with a heavy copper heat sink that adds two pounds to the machine’s weight.
Omdia also reports that the MacBook Air will continue to use an LCD display, and that there’s a “new 13.8-inch MacBook, which is expected to launch in 2029 with a hybrid OLED display.” This “new” MacBook is likely an upgraded version of the MacBook Air, which has been reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman to be making the switch to OLED in the future.
Omida also confirms previous reports that an OLED iPad mini will arrive later this year. The current LCD iPad mini was released in October 2024, so it’s due for an update. It would be Apple’s first non-Pro tablet to have an OLED display.
