After more than a decade defending that the MacBook with touch screen, Apple is preparing to take an unprecedented step: a MacBook with touch screen enters the roadmap. Information comes through two common channels in the Apple ecosystem: Ming-Chi Kuo lays out dates and technology, and Mark Gurman has been outlining the direction for some time.
The movement is not minor. It involves recognizing that user expectations and the competitive landscape have changed, and in certain scenarios, touch can add productivity without replacing the keyboard and trackpad. Let's look at what we know and the context that explains this shift.
Schedule and planned hardware
The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo places the project in a specific horizon: mass production by the end of 2026 for a MacBook Pro with OLED and touch capabilities. Marketing is expected between the end of that year and early 2027, depending on the supply chain schedule.
The key to the hardware will be a OLED panel on-cell technology, which integrates the touch sensor into the panel layer itself. This approach avoids additional layers, allows for thinner designs, and helps control weight, while retaining OLED's advantages in contrast and efficiency.
The roadmap being considered links two milestones: a previous update of the MacBook Pro with M5 chips in early 2026, followed by the redesigned model with touchscreen and M6 chips by the end of that same year (or early 2027 if there are calendar adjustments).
In design, a thinner chassis and a more discreet notchThese are logical changes if the goal is to accompany the panel jump with a more stylized product language.
In panels, the pieces fit together with a weight supplier: Samsung is among the candidates to supply OLED, something that would fit with the image quality and efficiency sought in this generation.
The dates also serve to contextualize previous rumors. Gurman had already suggested Apple has been exploring bringing touch to the Mac for a couple of years; the 2025 window that was considered at the time has reportedly given way to a more realistic plan for 2026 with the arrival of OLED.
Outside the professional range, there is talk of a More affordable MacBook which would go into production in late 2025 without a touchscreen. Touch capability could scale to a later second generation (targeted for 2027), extending the approach beyond the Pro if market response supports it.
Strategy, context and effects on the ecosystem
The competition has been offering for some time now touchscreen laptops and the Mac is a stronger business today than many anticipated. In that context, market expectations weighs, and Apple seeks to close an old criticism without giving up its value proposition.
Historically, the Cupertino company had ruled out vertical touch for ergonomic reasons. Jobs defended That raising your arm toward the screen ends up tiring, and Tim Cook has emphasized for years the separation of roles between Mac and iPad. The possible shift doesn't negate those reasons; it shifts the focus.
The idea now goes through a complementary use: Don't replace the trackpad or mouse, but rather add quick gestures to scroll, zoom, or tap specific elements when it's most convenient. Don't force primary interaction into tablet mode.
In software, Apple has been paving the way for a long time: in 2018 it began to bring iPad and Mac apps closer together, in 2020 it allowed iPhone apps to run on the Mac and with Big Sur macOS revamped the interface with more spacious controls. Already in 2025, macOS 26 deepens that convergence with iPadOS.
If the touch-enabled MacBook arrives, expect interface tweaks: larger touch targets, dedicated gestures and some hierarchy adapted so that the finger is a viable option, without imposing itself on classic input methods.
A reasonable doubt is the compatibility with peripherals such as a pencil. Apple Pencil on the Mac would have appeal for creatives, although there are no firm confirmations for now and it is an area where Apple could move cautiously.
Conceptually, the decision blurs the lines between Mac and iPadThe brand would lose some of its sleek lines, but would gain functional consistency across devices and close the gap many users perceive when switching from iPad to Mac.
For those who edit video, illustrate, or study, the change could be practical: productivity and creativity on the same device, with the freedom to choose the most comfortable interaction mode at any time. In addition, there are solutions that convert a MacBook screen to a touch screen by external hardware.
If the roadmap is confirmed, the touch-enabled MacBook with OLED and on-cell will mark a turning point in the range: late 2026/early 2027 as a window of arrival, a redesign driven by M6 chips and a macOS more aware of the finger as an occasional gesture, without losing sight of what has made the Mac, Mac.
