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Will Apple ever release a touch-screen Mac? Rumors (and denials) about one have been circulating for years, but 2026 might be the year.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple will revamp the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with touch capabilities later this year. It will replace the mini-LED panels on the current models with OLED displays that are expected to support fast scrolling and pinch-to-zoom.
Additionally, Gurman says Apple may make some software tweaks to improve touch support. When users tap an item, for example, the modified macOS interface “will bring up a new type of menu surrounding their finger that provides more relevant options for touch commands,” he says, adding that options under a menu may also get enlarged for easier selection.
Apple isn’t planning to pitch the upcoming Mac as a true iPad replacement, though. “The idea is to let customers use the touch input as much or as little as they’d like, and blend it with the familiar point-and-click approach,” Gurman adds.
When it comes to design, the exterior of the touch-screen Mac is expected to look similar to the current MacBook Pro. However, on the inside, Apple may replace the existing webcam notch with the iPhone’s Dynamic Island.
First introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro, Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped cutout that houses the front camera and supports interactive software features around it. On the Mac, the Island may be smaller and arrive in a punch-hole format, Gurman says. MacOS already displays iPhone notifications and Live Activity updates, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them move to the rumored cutout.
The touch-screen laptop isn’t expected anytime soon. Apple, however, is expected to launch five new products in the days leading up to its already-announced March 4 event. Reports indicate debuts for the iPhone 17e, a new low-budget MacBook, M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, the 12th-gen iPad with Apple Intelligence, and an M4-powered iPad Air.