The line between iPad and MacBook might get a little blurrier this year. Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a touchscreen MacBook Pro with OLED screen which will be released by the end of 2026.
This is a product I wasn’t expecting to see any time soon. For 15 years, Apple executives to have publicly rejected the idea of putting touchscreens on a MacBooksaying it would be uncomfortable to operate on. Steve Jobs told the crowd At an Apple event, the company did “tons of user testing” on putting touchscreens on MacBooks and decided against it because, he said, “It doesn’t work. It’s ergonomically terrible.”
Watch this: New touchscreen MacBook details emerge and what to expect at Apple’s big event
When introducing Mac OS »
So if Bloomberg’s information is correct, someone at Apple is definitely thinking differently now. But before you shout that this isn’t what Steve Jobs wanted, let’s remember that Jobs said Apple did “tons” of user testing. It was something the company was interested in. Maybe in the last 15 years something has changed.
In this week’s episode of One More Thing, embedded above, I go over the details of the Bloomberg report on how it might work. MacOS would only reveal touch menus when a finger touches the screen, which would simply help it complement the point-and-click interface. This could certainly avoid criticisms that Microsoft faced by overhauling its operating system at the launch of Windows 8 when it switched to a hybrid interface, alienating longtime users.
This device is rumored to be coming later this year, but Apple could have plenty of other gadgets to play with next week. Tim Cook said the company would announce new products starting Monday. The company is expected to launch a new iPhone 17e, along with updated models of the iPad and Mac lineup — maybe up to five different products.
Apple is hosting an invitation only experience on Wednesday March 4 in New Yorkand I’ll be there to cover everything that happens and give my first impressions and full report on what one more thing (or several things) will get people excited.
For more one more thingsubscribe to our YouTube page to see Bridget Carey break down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.
