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| The MacBook Ultra is said to be the first Mac to be equipped with a touchscreen. |
A bombshell hidden inside the first beta of macOS 27 suggests Apple is finally preparing to embrace touch on the Mac — fueling speculation about a premium “MacBook Ultra” with an OLED display and a radical new design.
For years, Apple has held a firm line: the Mac is for keyboard and mouse, the iPad is for touch. But a quiet but significant change in the latest developer beta of macOS 27 suggests that line may be about to blur — or vanish entirely.
Rumors have been circulating for many months according to which the next-generation MacBook Pro ($1,549 on Amazon) will have a new design and an OLED touchscreen, and will be marketed under the name “MacBook Ultra” – at a higher price than the current MacBook Pro. Apple has not yet officially commented on these rumors. However, the first beta version of macOS 27 already contains a reference to this touchscreen support.
And it’s not just a buried line of code. The beta reveals a functional, system‑wide touch interface that works today — if you know where to look.
Sidecar Just Got a Whole Lot More Interesting
The evidence comes from Apple’s own Sidecar feature, which lets you use an iPad as a secondary display for a Mac. In previous versions of macOS — including the current macOS 26 — you could mirror or extend your desktop to an iPad, but the iPad’s touchscreen remained inert. You still needed a mouse, trackpad, or Apple Pencil to interact with anything on that iPad screen.
That has changed in macOS 27 beta 1.
If an iPad is connected wirelessly to a Mac via Sidecar, it is possible to operate macOS 27 via the tablet’s touchscreen. In macOS 26, you still had to use a mouse or trackpad to do this. It is not only possible to scroll through lists and select menu items, but simple gestures such as pinch to zoom are also supported. To simplify the selection of items, the finger can be moved over a list to highlight menu items as a replacement for the hover function of the mouse pointer.
Anyone who has used an iPad with iPadOS will instantly feel at home. Tap to open an app, swipe to scroll, pinch to zoom in Safari — it all works. The macOS interface responds fluidly to direct touch input, with no lag or translation layer.
Developers who have tested the beta report that the touch support feels deliberate, polished, and far from a temporary experiment. “This isn’t a hack,” one beta tester told us. “This is Apple laying groundwork. The entire UI responds to touch exactly as you’d expect if they’d planned it from day one.”
What This Means for the MacBook Ultra
Although this new feature is not a definitive confirmation that a MacBook with a touchscreen is actually planned, it does lend credibility to the rumors. After all, why would Apple invest in building robust, system‑wide touch gestures into macOS — complete with hover‑to‑highlight and pinch‑to‑zoom — if no touchscreen Mac was on the horizon?
The most likely answer is the so‑called MacBook Ultra.
According to supply chain whispers and analyst notes that have been building since late 2025, the MacBook Ultra will be offered with either Apple M6 Pro or M6 Max chips. These next‑generation processors are expected to use an advanced 2nm process, delivering dramatic gains in performance and efficiency — essential for driving a power‑hungry OLED touchscreen without sacrificing battery life.
Rumors suggest that Apple will give the notebook a completely new design, featuring a thinner body and a punch‑hole or Dynamic Island instead of the controversial notch that has adorned MacBook Pros since 2021. The OLED touchscreen is to be offered with a diagonal of 14.3 inches or 16.3 inches — slightly larger than current models, likely thanks to reduced bezels.
A Price Tag to Match the “Ultra” Name
The “Ultra” branding — already used for the M1 Ultra chip and the Apple Watch Ultra — signals a new top‑tier product line. Industry watchers expect the MacBook Ultra to start well above the current MacBook Pro’s price. For context, the existing 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro retails for around $1,549 on Amazon, but the Ultra could easily cross the **$2,500 threshold** for base configurations, with fully loaded models approaching $4,000 or more.
That premium would buy not only the touchscreen and the M6 chips but also a chassis that is said to be significantly thinner and lighter than any current Pro model. Some leakers have compared it to the 12‑inch MacBook from 2015 — but with Pro level ports and performance.
When Can You Expect to See It?
The launch is expected between September 2026 and spring 2027. That timeline fits perfectly with Apple’s typical release cadence: macOS 27 will be officially announced at WWDC 2026 in June, with a public release in September or October. If Apple plans to unveil a touchscreen MacBook alongside the new OS, a fall 2026 event is the most logical stage.
However, some supply chain reports have hinted at potential delays in OLED production for larger displays, pushing the launch into early 2027. Either way, the macOS 27 beta makes one thing clear: the software is already ready.
A Broader Shift in Apple’s Strategy?
For years, Apple CEO Tim Cook dismissed touchscreen Macs as “ergonomically terrible,” arguing that lifting your arm to poke a vertical screen is fatiguing. But the hybrid form factor of the MacBook Ultra — a thin, light clamshell that might also function as a tablet when folded? — could change that equation. Some rumors even suggest a 360‑degree hinge or a detachable design, though most sources agree Apple will stick with a traditional laptop form factor, using the touchscreen for occasional gestures, scrolling, and creative work rather than as a primary input.
The addition of full touch support in macOS 27 also has huge implications for iPad users. Imagine wirelessly connecting your iPad to your Mac via Sidecar and then touching your Mac’s own interface through the iPad — something that was impossible until now. For artists, designers, and anyone who relies on touch for zooming or rotating 3D models, this is a game changer.
You can see early reaction to this discovery from developers and leakers on social media. One notable account shared their findings earlier this week.
That tweet sparked a new wave of excitement, with many pointing out that Apple rarely adds major input methods to macOS without a corresponding hardware launch.
What’s Next?
As always with Apple rumors, a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted. The touch support in macOS 27 beta could theoretically be intended exclusively for Sidecar — a way to make iPad‑as‑second‑display more seamless, without any new Mac hardware. But the level of polish, the inclusion of hover simulation, and the fact that it works across the entire OS — not just in specific apps — suggest something bigger is brewing.
We reached out to Apple for comment but did not receive a reply before publication.
In the meantime, if you own an iPad and a Mac that supports macOS 27 (once it’s publicly available), you’ll be able to experience touch‑first macOS for yourself. Whether that experience feels like a glimpse of the future or a tech demo that never ships, only time will tell.
But one thing is certain: the line between Mac and iPad has never been blurrier — and the so‑called MacBook Ultra might just be the device that finally erases it.
For now, the current MacBook Pro remains an excellent choice, and you can find the latest models starting at $1,549 on Amazon — a solid option if you can’t wait until 2027.
Stay tuned for more updates as we dig deeper into macOS 27 beta and track every leak about the M6 Pro, M6 Max, and the mysterious MacBook Ultra.
ICYMI: You can now use touch controls on your Mac display with Sidecar on iPad! 👀 pic.twitter.com/KOErLtoZCA
— BLCNYY (@BLCNYY) June 9, 2026