The touchscreen MacBook is real — and it will have three 'firsts' for Apple
The long-rumored touch-screen MacBook is supposed to launch this year and despite a steady trickle of leaked tidbits, we don't know much about Apple's next notebook. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman just revealed three potential firsts for Apple.
For one, Gurman claims the company's first touchscreen laptop will utilize the high-end M5 Pro and M5 Max silicon. That's a departure from leaks earlier this year, which suggested the screen would be OLED and run on a new M6 chipset.
Surprisingly, the follow-up versions won't use the M6 processor at all. Gurman claims that it will leap to the M7 chip whenever that lineup is ready. This is apparently part of a change in chip strategy that includes ditching the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips.
We won't see M7 models until 2027, possibly early 2028 depending on how Apple releases the different chips in the lineup. Recently, Apple has split the lower-end variants from the high-end models between October and the first two months of the following year.
What we know about the screen
The touchscreen laptop will come in two sizes; 14- and 16-inches. Gurman reiterates a previous rumor that it will feature an iPhone-esque Dynamic Island interface.
It will also be an OLED panel. The touch capabilities, OLED display and Dynamic Island would all be firsts for a MacBook. By contrast, several Windows PCs have had OLED and touch features for years.
Additionally, the laptop is getting a redesign, though Gurman declined to elaborate on how it would look or what Apple is changing.
Potential release date and price
Every previous rumor has suggested that Apple is looking to release the OLED touch MacBook by the end of 2026. The company typically launches its new MacBooks in October.
Gurman says it could be released in early 2027, which matches Apple's recent trend of releasing Pro and Max-powered laptops in the early part of the year rather than the fall.
As for price, don't expect anything friendly to your wallet. Apple just raised prices for nearly all of its products this week, blaming the ongoing memory shortage for the increase.
The M5 Pro MacBook Pro now starts at $2,499, while the M5 Max starts $4,099. A totally decked out MacBook Pro with the most storage, M5 Max and highest RAM now costs $9,999.
I expect that with the new features Apple will seek a premium price for the new laptop, closer to $4,000 than $2,500.
If the new MacBook launches this year it could be one of a slew of new devices expected to debut under new CEO John Ternus. These include a suite of smart home devices, the foldable iPhone Ultra and more.
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