Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
Apple

Apple Readies High-End MacBook Pro With Touch, Hole-Punch Screen (bloomberg.com) 50

Posted by msmash from the up-next dept.
Speaking of the new MacBook Pro, which Apple launched on Wednesday, Bloomberg News reports that the company is preparing to launch a touch-screen version of its Mac computer, reversing course on a stance that dates back to co-founder Steve Jobs. From the report: The company is readying a revamped MacBook Pro with a touch display for late 2026 or early 2027 [non-paywalled link], according to people with knowledge of the matter. The new machines, code-named K114 and K116, will also have thinner and lighter frames and run the M6 line of chips. In making the move, Apple is following the rest of the computing industry, which embraced touch-screen laptops more than a decade ago.

The company has taken years to formulate its approach to the market, aiming to improve on current designs. Bloomberg News first reported in January 2023 that Apple was working on a touch-screen MacBook Pro. The new laptops will feature displays with OLED technology, the same standard used in iPhones and iPad Pros, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the products haven't been announced. It will mark the first time that this higher-end, thinner system is used in a Mac.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Apple Readies High-End MacBook Pro With Touch, Hole-Punch Screen More

Apple Readies High-End MacBook Pro With Touch, Hole-Punch Screen

Comments Filter:

  • the industry may have embraced it, (Score:4, Interesting)

    by flippy ( 62353 ) on Thursday October 16, 2025 @03:13PM (#65730484) Homepage
    but have users? I wonder how many people are actually using the touch screen outside of machines that are designed as 2-in-1s. Like, how many people are seriously using a touch screen in the standard 90 degree orientation of laptop on a desk or on a table?

    • but have users? I wonder how many people are actually using the touch screen outside of machines that are designed as 2-in-1s. Like, how many people are seriously using a touch screen in the standard 90 degree orientation of laptop on a desk or on a table?

      I use a touch screen. Not for everything but for select scenarios, like filling out long surveys or opening up lots of browser links in background tabs or quickly clicking on buttons in different areas of the screen when no mouse is available.

      Touchscreens use more power, are heavier, and cost more. However, none of those problems are compelling to me, except maybe weight. I bought the LG Gram 14, which was far lighter than any other laptop, including all Macs, and part of that light weight was due to not

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by flippy ( 62353 )

        I personally never cared for it, it was always felt awkward to me unless it was a 2-in-1 folded over and I was using it like a tablet. I was just wondering how big the demand was, I don't think it's as big a demand as Apple management might think.

        BTW, typing this on an LG Gram 17 (from a few years back). Love it. Super light (less than 3 lbs), tiny bezels, packs a 17" screen in a laptop only marginally bigger than most 15.6"ers. And with a numeric keypad.

        • I personally never cared for it, it was always felt awkward to me unless it was a 2-in-1 folded over and I was using it like a tablet. I was just wondering how big the demand was, I don't think it's as big a demand as Apple management might think.

          BTW, typing this on an LG Gram 17 (from a few years back). Love it. Super light (less than 3 lbs), tiny bezels, packs a 17" screen in a laptop only marginally bigger than most 15.6"ers. And with a numeric keypad.

          Well, since you can run iPad Apps on Mac, and since iPadOS 26 brings that UI a LOT closer to macOS, and has shown Apple themselves how Overlapping Resizable Windows, Menus and other Mac-isms can actually be used fairly effectively in a finger-sized UI, it now makes a lot more sense to be able to address that use-case. Plus, a lot of creative professionals would love to have the option for touch UI for applications in Keyboard Rigs, DAW and NLE Editors, etc.

          Central to this will be what they do with the Hinge

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Xenx ( 2211586 )
      I can only speak to myself. I don't use a laptop too frequently, desktop is primary, but I'd say a touch screen is/would be useful about 30-50% of the time while on it. I often find myself wanting to just tap on things, with Windows and MacOS. It's usually limited to casual usage.

      While I wouldn't assume touch is the primary desired method of interaction, I know there can be times where it would be easier, or more intuitive, than using the touchpad. Further, with Apple integrating iPad apps and widgets into

      • I can only speak to myself. I don't use a laptop too frequently, desktop is primary, but I'd say a touch screen is/would be useful about 30-50% of the time while on it. I often find myself wanting to just tap on things, with Windows and MacOS. It's usually limited to casual usage.

        While I wouldn't assume touch is the primary desired method of interaction, I know there can be times where it would be easier, or more intuitive, than using the touchpad. Further, with Apple integrating iPad apps and widgets into MacOS it seems at least somewhat more likely to be useful/desirable. From a function standpoint, it's a feature that cannot easily be handled via aftermarket. As such, it's generally better to have the option for those that need/want it. The only real reason to keep it out is cost.

        I think that it will be an Option, at least at first. MacOS is already fully functional without Touch; so no reason to make the 70% that don’t want/need Touch pay for the 30% that do.

    • I bought a low end laptop merely as a back up to my desktop a few years ago during the holiday sales. It came with a touchscreen, (probably) just like most people I did not seek one out.

      I don't even use the laptop more than once a month to make sure that yep it still works and windows didn't corrupt itself. I played with the touch screen, it's ok but unless you don't have a mouse I don't see how it is very tolerable to use. touching it makes the screen hinge flex just enough to make it annoying if you pr

    • I imagine a touch screen would be most useful when you don't have convenient access to the pointer. For example, holding a laptop up to discuss something with a coworker. It would allow for the coworker to move windows around, switch tabs, etc, without having to physically hand over the laptop.

      But if you are sitting there with your hands on the keyboard and thumb on the trackpad -- a touchscreen has no real use. But that is not the only scenario in which such devices are used.

      Person A: Go to that l

      • I imagine a touch screen would be most useful when you don't have convenient access to the pointer. For example, holding a laptop up to discuss something with a coworker. It would allow for the coworker to move windows around, switch tabs, etc, without having to physically hand over the laptop.

        But if you are sitting there with your hands on the keyboard and thumb on the trackpad -- a touchscreen has no real use. But that is not the only scenario in which such devices are used.

        Person A: Go to that link...

        Person B: This link?

        Person A: No, go down some more.... Now up.... No, not that one....

        Person B: This link?

        Person A: Great, now open it in a new tab... I said a new tab!!! Better go back, we need that previous page. No, don't close the window....

        Am I the only one who can see this sort of interaction taking place? There are times when it could be very useful for "Person A" to just touch the screen.

        The problem is, personal computer UI started as a Glass Typewriter, and people just got used to fitting everything into that paradigm. Even the Mouse and Trackpad is a VERY poor substitute for how we interact with the world in every other way; through directly Touching things. A Mouse/Trackpad is like using Robotic Hands to feed yourself dinner.

        So with that in mind, I’m just going to come right out and say it, right here, right now:

        Anything other than typing can arguably be made easier to use with a w

    • I'm using one now. In fact, I won't buy a laptop that's not touch screen. It's much easier than using a track pad as a pointing device.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by quenda ( 644621 )

        won't buy a laptop that's not touch screen. It's much easier than using a track pad as a pointing device.

        If you are sitting down and working, a mouse is better than either. (Though for real productivity, learn those keyboard shortcuts!)

        If you are moving around, or doing standing demos, you want a 2-in-1. (360 hinge or detachable).
        What a pity they can't just offer macOS on the ipad Air/Pro. But thats like asking for ports on a macbook air.

        • Yeah I know *all* the keyboard shortcuts. My first Windows computer was Windows 3.0, and I didn't even have a mouse, so I had to learn the shortcuts. Unfortunately, software has been steadily ditching them for years. Web apps in particular, rarely pay attention to keyboard navigation.

          Yep, I only get 2-in-1s.

          Another place where a mouse doesn't work, is on a plane, or on a commuter bus.

        • won't buy a laptop that's not touch screen. It's much easier than using a track pad as a pointing device.

          If you are sitting down and working, a mouse is better than either. (Though for real productivity, learn those keyboard shortcuts!)

          If you are moving around, or doing standing demos, you want a 2-in-1. (360 hinge or detachable).
          What a pity they can't just offer macOS on the ipad Air/Pro. But thats like asking for ports on a macbook air.

          Patience, Grasshopper!

          IPadOS 26 is an obvious toe-in-water toward Releasing the obvious Internal version of macOS-on-iPad that has, IMHO, obviously existed since around the time the M4 iPad Pro debuted last year.

          Have you seen the UI changes in iPadOS 26? It is WAY too Polished to be a Weekend Skunkworks Project!

          Here’s kind of a combined review of the new M5 iPad Pro and its OS, iPadOS 26; specifically as regards to being a casual-user Mac Replacement. This may help explain what I am reading in the Tea

    • I used the touch screen on my iPad frequently, when I used the iPad. I didn't upgrade, and my last model was software-limited, so I don't use it as much, but I would regularly use the touch screen.

    • I do. It's just another input method. In some cases it's faster for me to do something basic on my laptop with a finger than reach for the mouse. As I am typing this my mouse is about 20cm away to the right while the preview button on the screen is only about 4cm from my middle finger. I'm going to touch that now, it's less energy than reaching for my mouse.

    • I like 2 in 1s, but yes the touch would be rarely used on a desk to table in 'laptop mode' but is useful when it is in your lap since it is more ergonomic than reaching into your crotch for the touch pad. Occasionally at a desk it is useful to sign something with a stylus. Sometimes it is nice for when you're walking someone through how to do something and they can keep the KBAM in hand while you fuss around on the screen here and there.

    • We recently got our kid her first laptop, a Surface Book. After years of tablets, she gravitates towards the touch screen for most things. Even though I showed her how much more fidelity she has in Minecraft with the touchpad and WASD, she still opts for the second-rate on-screen touch controls.

  • I guess we'll see if people will tolerate a black camera hole in their computer screen. Seems this might be a problem in the less controlled world of mac software.

    • it's already there (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward
      The current macbooks have notches at the top. yes it is retarded. And I do not understand why Apple would put a fucking touchscreen on their macs. They have the best touchpad in the world there is no need for such stupidity.

  • And then they un-embraced it (Score:3)

    by ebunga ( 95613 ) on Thursday October 16, 2025 @03:20PM (#65730504)

    Touchscreens were popular seven or eight years ago. Everyone moved back to screens that don't suck. Apple is behind the times.

    • Or maybe they found a way to make them not suck ? They do usually get this stuff right

      • Youâ(TM)re forgetting the Touch Bar. You canâ(TM)t accuse Apple of not trying to innovate, but it is a disaster. I canâ(TM)t type on my MBP without constantly triggering it. Thank goodness I use an external keyboard 90% of the time.

        And given that most of my usage is with it on a stand as a secondary screen, Iâ(TM)d never find the use for it being a touch screen.

        • Youâ(TM)re forgetting the Touch Bar. You canâ(TM)t accuse Apple of not trying to innovate, but it is a disaster. I canâ(TM)t type on my MBP without constantly triggering it. Thank goodness I use an external keyboard 90% of the time.

          And given that most of my usage is with it on a stand as a secondary screen, Iâ(TM)d never find the use for it being a touch screen.

          I do not know why Apple never fixed its Accidental Touch Detection on the TouchBar.

          If they had just made the FN keyboard row half-height, then put the TouchBar above THAT, it might have caught-on.

    • I don't know, touchscreens are still pretty popular on laptops. I personally won't buy a laptop that doesn't have a touchscreen. Much easier than using the dumb track pad for a pointer.

    • Everyone moved back to screens that don't suck.

      Huh? Who is this everyone? I see literally touch screens on new devices *everywhere* I look. Heck I'm posting this from a 5 month old work laptop issued with a touch screen while I have my personal laptop to my left, a model which was only available with a touch screen. The wife's school issued laptop has a touch screen as do all the screens from her students which received them only 2 months ago.

      As for "suck". What "sucks" about a touch screen? As far as I can tell they look and work like every other scree

  • iPads already have keyboard addons, this will just be an iPad with a different OS. Apple should just "Windows 8" already and merge entirely now.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Xenx ( 2211586 )
      They already have, to an extent. You can run many iPhone/iPad apps and widgets on the newer Macs. The UI on MacOS has also looked like it's been skewing towards touch for a while.

      • In theory, all iPad apps should run on Apple Silicon Macs. It is just the developer checking a box that prohibits this from happening, which is the main reason.

  • Innovation (Score:4, Funny)

    by Newander ( 255463 ) on Thursday October 16, 2025 @03:40PM (#65730564)

    I can't wait to hear all about how innovative is for inventing laptops with touchscreens.

    • Well, yeah. But, in all seriousness, what would you add to a laptop, nowadays? You're a highly paid laptop designer, and your boss comes to you for your proposal for next year's model. What do you suggest?

      • A screen that isn't a fucking mirror.

      • Well, yeah. But, in all seriousness, what would you add to a laptop, nowadays?

        I suggest talking to an innovator not a laptop designer. Not everyone is able to come up with earth shattering new ideas. Your comment basically wouldn't be out of place in 2010, yet a whole new form factor for laptops was created since then.

        • yet a whole new form factor for laptops was created since then

          I have a 2012 MacBook, and a 2021 model. They're pretty much the same, and they're both very close to the Acer I got back in the early '00s. What's the "new form factor" that I'm missing?

      • How about looking at what the macbook pro market might actually want from a laptop? My list would include: More radio connectivity - built in IoT networks, sub-1ghz wifi, 5g Better mics with more background noise filtering / directivity (though my M4 is already pretty good) Better thermal management (always) That's pretty much it for me

  • following instead of leading (Score:3)

    by Tom ( 822 ) on Thursday October 16, 2025 @04:51PM (#65730708) Homepage Journal

    Apple is following the rest of the computing industry, which embraced touch-screen laptops more than a decade ago.

    Then they'll find out the hard way that Steve was right.

  • By announcing the M6 cpu mere days after the M5 launched, they've let their customers know that if they just wait a year, they'll get a better chip. This could reduce sales of the M5 laptops.

    • Their cadence has been pretty predictable for a while now, ever since they switch to Arm. Some people might indeed hold out for a touch screen; some just might not give a shit.

  • Now they can eliminate the keyboard! (Score:3)

    by chas.williams ( 6256556 ) on Thursday October 16, 2025 @04:58PM (#65730736)
    And get rid of the hinge. What would you call something like that?

  • ... meets a bunch of greasy fingerprints.

    • This is sort-of true. I can't stand it when someone touches my screen on a non-touch-screen unit. But I don't mind so much on iPads or iPhones. I suspect it's expectations, and limitations. iPhone & iPad screens are built for touching, so you can wipe them off when they get particularly grubby, and no big deal. The screens I'm using for my Mac Mini, however, are clearly not meant to be touched, and they look like they can easily break if you wipe a smudge too hard. I really don't want to replace a

  • JDEC/DELL CAMM2 or Micron/nVIDIA SOCAMM memory AND Industry standard (non-propiertary) PCIe Gen5 NVMe storage

    Otherwise, my Intel Air and Intel Mini will be my last macs.

    Touch is just a nice to have, but not really needed.

    I don't even want ALL models being like that, just one or two (perhaps the pro models for real pros) will be more than enough.

    Thanks in advance apple.

  • If you use one as your monitor for a Raspberry Pi 500+, you can do without a mouse, safe in the knowledge that you'll be able to quickly kill off any untabbable browser pop-ups that might happen along.
  • I really don't understand how touch can help me, typing zsh/bash commands in touch sounds really inefficient.
    • When I had a touchscreen laptop, I mostly used the screen for scrolling. Unless I detached it, it was a surface book.

      My wife uses the hell out of her touchscreen. I guess this is for her more than you.

  • Useful for the manufacturer if you want to have only one production line of screens - say if your portable computer lineup otherwise consists of phones and tablets. http://www.catb.org/jargon/htm... [catb.org]

Slashdot Top Deals

Human beings were created by water to transport it uphill.

Close