Apple has introduced its newest MacBook Pro model, which will now be equipped with a touchscreen feature. This decision became possible after the company long refused this technology, dating back to when Steve Jobs rejected it in 2010.
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Apple plans to launch touch screen MacBook after years of hesitation
Apple is expected to unveil its first touch screen MacBooks this Wednesday, marking the end of a long resistance to the feature. This launch is part of a series of company updates before the year-end shopping season, and the event, held in Los Angeles, may conclude an old debate about including touch screens in the brand's computer line.
Reviewing Apple's Historical Stance
In 2010, Steve Jobs had classified touch screens on laptops as 'ergonomically terrible.' Two years later, Tim Cook, who was the company's CEO at the time, compared combining these distinct technologies to trying to put a toaster and a refrigerator together.
Meanwhile, the competition followed a different path. Windows operating system laptops have offered this feature for over ten years, and a new generation of consumers has become accustomed to interacting directly with smartphone and tablet screens.
Anshel Sag, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, considered Apple's stance misguided. He stated: 'I believe they have always been wrong to resist touch, and now reality is setting in,' adding that 'some things are simply inevitable.'
New MacBooks May Retain Current Chips
The presentation comes after the launch of the iPhone Duo in September and a smart home hub earlier this month. This week, Apple also announced an updated entry-level MacBook Pro version that uses the M6 chip.
According to Bloomberg News, the models that will come with touch screens are expected to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors, which are already available in other versions of the laptop. Consequently, these new models should not show a drastic leap in performance terms.
This detail is important because part of the recent increase in Mac sales comes from corporations and enthusiasts who use the computers to perform local artificial intelligence (AI) tasks. Jason Calacanis, a technology commentator and host of the All-In podcast, emphasized this priority in an X post, stating: 'The only thing people want is more memory and better processors for local models!'
The introduction of touch has the potential to change how users interact with MacBooks. However, it remains uncertain whether this feature will be enough to attract consumers who are also awaiting improvements in equipment processing power.
Apple to unveil new MacBook Pros with OLED displays and touch control, plus an updated iPad mini next week
According to verified leaks, Apple is preparing to introduce a wave of updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros at the 'Pro and Tell' event on October 28th. These devices will be the first Apple laptops with a touchscreen, which is a significant step as this feature has long become standard among competitors.
The integration of touch control will allow macOS users to utilize various new gestures previously only available in iPadOS and iOS. Simultaneously, the new tandem OLED displays will significantly improve visual quality, providing higher contrast, more accurate color reproduction, and better energy efficiency.
Despite early reports of a thinner chassis, recent leaks indicate that the overall profile of the devices will remain similar, although the laptops themselves are expected to be noticeably lighter. The design will finally eliminate the controversial camera cutout in favor of the Dynamic Island, which has been present on flagship iPhones since the release of the iPhone 14 Pro series in September 2022.
Under the hood, the laptops will retain familiar chips: high-performance models in 14 and 16 inches will continue to run on the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors introduced earlier this year. However, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro will receive a new base M6 chip, replacing the M5 model released a year ago. Furthermore, the 24-inch iMac will also see a performance boost by switching to the M6 processor.
The iPad mini will undergo a major upgrade. This compact tablet will be equipped with an OLED panel similar to the latest generation of iPad Pro, although there are disagreements about whether the screen will be a standard 60Hz or a 120Hz ProMotion display. There will also be a noticeable change in the industrial design of the iPad mini: it will switch to an innovative system of vibration speakers that generates sound directly through the chassis.
The improvement in screen quality alone makes the new iPad mini a worthy upgrade for consumers.