In a shocking report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, we’ve learned that Apple is actually in the works of producing the first OLED, touchscreen MacBook Pro… that is insane.
As it currently stands, Apple has always had a bit of aversion to the idea of a Mac with a touchscreen, the closest we’ve ever come to that reality were the MacBooks featuring a Touch Bar at the top of the keyboard.
Apple’s anti-touchscreen for Mac philosophy was so prevalent that Steve Jobs is on record in 2010 saying that “touchscreen surfaces don’t want to be vertical”, arguing that a vertical touchscreen causes arm fatigue (he’s not wrong lol).
Gurman’s report says that Apple’s engineers are “actively engaged in the project” and that the company as a whole is seriously considering the idea of touchscreen Macs.
From what we can tell via Mark’s report, the first touchscreen Mac would be a MacBook Pro – featuring a touchscreen display akin to iPhone or iPad, yet still retaining its signature trackpad and keyboard.
Mark has also given us a generalized date window to expect this new, exciting MacBook Pro… 2025:
Based on current internal deliberations, the company could launch its first touch-screen Mac in 2025 as part of a larger update to the MacBook Pro, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.
Mark Gurman
Apple is also currently working on a full rollout of OLED displays to all of its relevant products that still lack the technology, that of course includes the MacBook Pro. Mark corroborates the recent rumors we’ve heard surrounding Apple’s OLED rollout hitting around 2024:
As part of the MacBook Pro revamp, Apple is also planning to move its displays to organic light-emitting diode, or OLED technology. The company currently uses LCDs — liquid crystal displays — on its Macs, but iPhones and Apple Watches already rely on OLED. Those screens offer improved brightness and color and will also come to the iPad Pro in the first half of 2024.
Mark Gurman
Listen up, these are some major moves here. I am not even remotely smart enough to think about the usability changes required for macOS to go full-touchscreen compatibility, so kudos to Apple for this potentially huge play.
We have so many reasons to be excited for the future of Apple, and these are just two reasons. The next handful of years are shaping up to be interesting at worst and innovative at best. Good luck to all you crazy Apple engineers, and don’t forget to brush your teeth!