TL; DR
- Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple’s first OLED MacBook Pro will enter mass production in 2026 with touchscreen functionality.
- Touch features will be inspired by iPad usage patterns.
- This shift could redefine the MacBook lineup, blending laptop performance with tablet-like versatility.
Apple may be preparing to bring touchscreen support to its MacBook lineup for the first time, according to insights from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on X (formerly Twitter). He says that Apple’s first OLED-equipped MacBook Pro is expected to enter mass production in late 2026.
MacBook Pro with a Touchscreen?
Kuo notes that Apple’s decision stems from long-term observation of iPad usage patterns. The company has seen how direct touch interactions can enhance efficiency in workflows such as sketching, annotating, and navigating. By adding this capability to the MacBook Pro, Apple appears to be bridging its tablet and laptop experiences while keeping macOS at the center.
While exact specifications remain unclear, the switch to OLED should bring better colors, deeper blacks, and better energy efficiency compared to current mini-LED/LCD panels. The addition of touchscreen support could open new possibilities.
Apple had already filed and was granted patents on a touchscreen MacBook back in 2024. The patent was titled “Touch Sensing Utilizing Integrated Micro Circuitry.” Anyway, this means that we could see the first MacBook with a touchscreen as early as late 2026 or early 2027.
Apple has historically resisted adding a touchscreen to MacBooks, often stressing that macOS and iPadOS are separate experiences and touchscreen on a MacBook doesn’t make sense.
“We really feel that the ergonomics of using a Mac are that your hands are rested on a surface, and that lifting your arm up to poke a screen is a pretty fatiguing thing to do,” said Craig Federighi in an interview with Wired. Steve Jobs also strongly opposed the idea, calling it “ergonomically terrible.”
But now that change is happening, it could also mean design adjustments, possibly even a lid that flips outwards, similar to many Windows 2-in-1 laptops.
Right now, the big question is not just if Apple will add a touchscreen, but how. Will the company simply add touch support to the standard MacBook form factor, or will it reimagine the device with hybrid flexibility? We’ll have to wait and see.
Second-Gen Affordable MacBook Will Also Feature Touchscreen
Kuo has also detailed that the 2026 OLED MacBook Pro will use on-cell touch technology. In contrast, a more affordable MacBook powered by an iPhone processor, scheduled for mass production in late 2025, will not feature a touch panel. Its potential second-generation version, expected in 2027, could adopt touchscreen functionality depending on development progress.
ALSO READ: Apple’s A19 Pro Delivers MacBook Power — Is a Budget MacBook Next?
If Apple follows through, the 2026 MacBook Pro could signal a turning point for the company’s laptops, aligning them more closely with the hybrid computing trend while maintaining the Mac’s productivity-first design. It will also be interesting to see how Apple does this without cannibalizing iPad sales.
You can follow Smartprix on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the latest tech and auto news, reviews, and guides.
