{"id":1919,"date":"2026-05-29T15:24:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T14:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/?p=1919"},"modified":"2026-05-29T15:31:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T14:31:54","slug":"apple-is-preparing-the-iphone-ultra-and-macbook-ultra-the-ipad-could-be-heading-for-a-major-shift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/apple-is-preparing-the-iphone-ultra-and-macbook-ultra-the-ipad-could-be-heading-for-a-major-shift\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple is preparing the iPhone Ultra and MacBook Ultra: the iPad could be heading for a major shift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For years, the iPad has occupied a very specific place: bigger than an iPhone, more immediate than a Mac, perfect for reading, writing, drawing, watching content and working without carrying a proper laptop around. It was that famous \u201cthird device\u201d imagined by Steve Jobs. Today, though, that comfortable position is starting to wobble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest rumors, Apple is preparing two products capable of changing the balance quite dramatically: a foldable iPhone Ultra<\/strong> and a MacBook Ultra with an OLED touchscreen display<\/strong>. Two very different devices, but with one clear thing in common: both could invade areas that have belonged to the iPad until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple\u2019s foldable could become the new iPad mini<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first product is the easiest one to imagine in everyday life. A foldable iPhone<\/a><\/strong>, when closed, would remain a pocket-sized smartphone. When opened, however, it could offer an experience very close to that of a small tablet. It would not replace an iPad Pro, that much is clear. But it could seriously challenge the role of the iPad mini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is exactly where Apple will need to be careful. The iPad mini still has its audience: people who read a lot, take notes, want a lightweight device for the couch, a bag or travel. But if an iPhone Ultra managed to offer enough space to read documents, watch videos, use apps in split screen and maybe take quick notes, many people might no longer feel the need to buy a separate compact tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue would not appear overnight. Apple\u2019s first foldables will almost certainly be expensive and aimed at a fairly specific audience. But Apple usually thinks in long cycles. The first model opens the door, the second fixes the flaws, the third reaches a broader public. We have already seen this happen across several product categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A touchscreen MacBook would take away the iPad\u2019s most obvious advantage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second product is even more interesting: a very high-end MacBook<\/a><\/strong> with an OLED display and touch support. For years, Apple has kept its worlds separate: the Mac is used with a trackpad and keyboard, the iPad with fingers and Apple Pencil. A clean division, sometimes even too rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a touchscreen MacBook really arrives, the iPad will lose one of its strongest arguments: \u201cI am the Apple computer you can touch.\u201d Of course, macOS will not automatically become iPadOS, and using a laptop by touching the screen is not always comfortable. But the message would change: the Mac, too, can become more direct, more physical, closer to the tablet experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that point, the iPad would be caught between two fronts. On one side, an iPhone that opens up and almost becomes a tablet. On the other, a Mac that lets you touch the screen while still keeping all the power of a full computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iPadOS 26 is a step forward, but it may not be enough<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apple seems to have noticed. iPadOS 26 introduced a more mature windowing system, more flexible multitasking and tools that feel closer to a desktop experience. It is exactly the kind of update many iPad users had been asking for over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real point, though, lies elsewhere: the iPad can no longer simply chase the Mac. When it tries to become a \u201csimplified\u201d Mac, it risks always feeling incomplete. When it stays too close to the classic tablet, it risks being overtaken by a foldable iPhone. The way out should be more ambitious: turn the iPad into the ultimate creative and modular device, not a slightly timid middle-ground solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple already has impressive hardware. iPad Pro models with M-series chips have plenty of power, excellent displays and very advanced accessories. Even the iPad Air with M4 shows just how capable the mid-range has become. What is often missing is a truly free software direction: fewer artificial limits, more complete professional apps, better integration with external monitors, the file system and complex workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The iPad is not dead, and anyone saying so is moving too fast. But it is entering the most delicate phase of its recent history. For a long time, Apple was able to protect it by keeping a clear separation between iPhone and Mac. Now that separation could become much less obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I find this phase far more interesting than the usual yearly updates with a slightly faster chip and slightly thinner bezels. If the iPhone Ultra and MacBook Ultra really arrive, they will force Apple to answer a question it has been postponing for years: what is the iPad, really, in 2026 and beyond?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer cannot be \u201ca bit iPhone and a bit Mac.\u201d The iPad has to become something more defined. More powerful, freer, more recognizable. Otherwise, it risks remaining beautiful, very expensive and increasingly less essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Will Apple really launch a foldable iPhone?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most recent rumors suggest that Apple is working on a very high-end foldable iPhone, often referred to as the iPhone Ultra. The product, however, has not been officially announced yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will the MacBook Ultra be the first touchscreen Mac?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to rumors, Apple is preparing a premium MacBook with an OLED display and touch support. It would be an important change for the entire Mac lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could the iPad mini disappear?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not necessarily. But a foldable iPhone could make it less necessary for some users, especially if it offers a large enough internal display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does iPadOS 26 really change the iPad experience?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, especially when it comes to multitasking and window management. It is a concrete step forward, even though it does not fully solve the iPad\u2019s identity problem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years, the iPad has occupied a very specific place: bigger than an iPhone, more immediate than a Mac, perfect for reading, writing, drawing, watching content and working without carrying a proper laptop around. It was that famous \u201cthird device\u201d imagined by Steve Jobs. Today, though, that comfortable position is starting to wobble.<\/p>\n

According to the latest rumors, Apple is preparing two products capable of changing the balance quite dramatically: a foldable iPhone Ultra and a MacBook Ultra with an OLED touchscreen display. Two very different devices, but with one clear thing in common: both could invade areas that have belonged to the iPad until now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1919"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1919\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1920,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1919\/revisions\/1920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}