In a nutshell:
- An OLED display with a hole-punch design is expected.
- 14” and 16” sizes, codenamed K114 and K116.
- Thinner, lighter frames and an M6 chip are expected under the hood.
- A reinforced hinge and screen hardware aim to prevent bounce or movement when touched.
- Likely to cost a few hundred dollars more than current versions.
According Bloomberg the Apple Inc. is preparing to finally introduce a touchscreen version of its Mac computer, reversing a stance that has been held since the days of company co-founder Steve Jobs.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the company is preparing an updated MacBook Pro with a touchscreen for late 2026 or early 2027. The new computers, codenamed K114 and K116, will also have thinner and lighter frames and will run on the M6 chip line.
Apple is still standing still, even though several other companies have been planning touchscreens for their computers for a decade. The company has taken years to formulate its approach to the market, aiming to improve on current designs.
The new laptops will feature displays with OLED technology – organic light-emitting diode – the same standard used in the iPhone and iPad Pro, said the people, who asked not to be named because the products have not yet been unveiled.
In the updated MacBook Pro, Apple is doing away with the “notch” – the cutout at the top of the screen that houses the camera – in its place. In its place, the company will adopt a so-called hole-punch design that leaves an area of the screen around the sensor. This will be similar in concept to the “Dynamic Island” on the iPhone.
The company also confirmed reinforced hardware for the back and screen to prevent the screen from moving or bouncing when touched, a common shortcoming of existing touch-enabled computers.
Because of the more expensive components, the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros will likely cost a few hundred dollars more than the current versions. Today’s non-touch models with high-end chips start at $1,999 for the 14-inch version and $2,499 for the larger one.
The late Jobs, then Apple’s chief executive officer, said in 2010 that “touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical,” suggesting that they wouldn’t make sense for a computer screen. His successor, Tim Cook, quipped that combining a tablet and a laptop would be like melding a toaster and a fridge.
When it comes to innovation, Apple is not a very responsive company. They want the news of the touchscreen MacBook Pro to spread to people’s news feeds and they will see what their reactions are. What they are interested in and what they are not. This will speed up or delay the implementation time of the new computers.
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