MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Launching as Soon as 2026

Apple is working on a new version of the MacBook Pro with an OLED display, a hole punch camera, and touch screen functionality, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today. The updated ‌MacBook Pro‌ is set to launch sometime between late 2026 and early 2027.

Apple hasn't redesigned the ‌MacBook Pro‌ since the launch of the M1 Pro and M1 Max machines in 2021, but that is set to change with the launch of the OLED models. Along with new display capabilities, there will be a hole-punch camera and no notch, plus a thinner and lighter design. Apple is also adding a reinforced hinge and an updated screen design that will ensure the display does not move when it is touched.

While Apple plans to add a touch screen, the MacBook will continue to have a trackpad and a keyboard, with touch gestures augmenting existing functionality.

With an OLED display and touch integration, the upcoming 2026/2027 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will likely be more expensive than the current higher-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models that are priced starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model.

The touch screen ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M6 chips. Apple just this week debuted the M5 Apple silicon chip, so the M6 is a ways off. Apple won't have M5 Pro and M5 Max chips ready until early 2026, which means it is increasingly likely the M6 variants will come in 2027.

It is possible that Apple will introduce two ‌MacBook Pro‌ refreshes in the same year, but it would be unusual.

Apple plans to test touch screen Macs with the ‌MacBook Pro‌ line, and the technology won't come to other Macs until Apple learns how it fares with consumers. Apple's last attempt at touch-based functionality in the Mac did not go well. The Touch Bar that was added to the ‌MacBook Pro‌ in 2016 did not prove popular with customers, and Apple ended up phasing it out starting with the 2021 ‌MacBook Pro‌ refresh.

Rumors about a touch screen Mac surfaced earlier this year when Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple would incorporate on-cell touch technology in the OLED ‌MacBook Pro‌. Kuo said that Apple decided to give the Mac a touch screen after 'long-term observation of iPad user behavior' that suggested touch controls can enhance productivity and user experience in certain scenarios.Related Roundup: MacBook ProBuyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook ProThis article, "MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Launching as Soon as 2026" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums