A new report by the well-regarded analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reignites the rumors surrounding one of the biggest changes Apple’s laptop lineup has ever seen – the integration of a touch screen in the MacBook Pro. According to the information he published on X, the next generation of MacBook Pro models equipped with OLED screens, expected to enter production at the end of 2026, may for the first time include a touch panel with on-cell technology. This is a move that could fundamentally change the Mac user experience and bring it closer to what millions of iPad users have known for years – an intuitive interface based on finger touches.
These rumors join earlier reports from Bloomberg, which already wrote back in 2023 that Apple is seriously considering introducing touch screens to MacBook models and might even present a first model as early as 2025. Journalist Mark Gurman has also expanded in recent months that in the future he expects to see iPads and Macs with identical screens, similar interfaces, and the ability to run the same applications – a trend that may blur the line even further between tablets and laptops.
Kuo noted that such a decision stems from years of observing user habits on the iPad and that integrating a touch screen into a laptop could increase productivity in certain cases – for example, when working with graphic software or quickly navigating between applications. However, the question of future support for the Apple Pencil remains open: Will Apple take the next step and allow a full writing and drawing experience on the MacBook as well, or will it leave this tool as the exclusive domain of the iPad?
The potential move could mark a significant strategic turning point for Apple, a company that for years was considered the most prominent opponent of touch screens in laptops, claiming that the user experience on them is completely different from that on tablets. If the rumors come true, in less than two years we may see for the first time a MacBook that embraces the generation raised on touch screens – and sets a new bar in the competition between laptops and smart tablets.