Touchscreen MacBook: What to Expect?
For many years, the idea of a touchscreen MacBook seemed like a distant dream. Back in 2010, Steve Jobs himself stated that touch surfaces don’t work well when they are vertical, leading to hand fatigue and discomfort. Despite this, recent rumors suggest that Apple is now developing touch screen MacBooks, which could be released as early as 2025.
This new development has generated a lot of excitement and speculation among tech enthusiasts and industry experts. To help you understand this topic better, we’ll be taking a closer look at what we know so far about the upcoming touchscreen MacBooks.
So, what do we know so far about the upcoming touchscreen MacBooks? Unfortunately, not much. Apple is known for being secretive about their products, and the rumors about the touchscreen MacBooks are no exception.
However, one thing is for sure: if and when Apple releases touchscreen MacBooks, they will likely be innovative, unique, and unlike anything we’ve seen before.
In the next section of this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at why Apple has changed their stance on touchscreens and what factors are driving this change.
Reasons for Apple’s change of stance on touchscreens
Recent rumors suggest that Apple is now developing touch screen MacBooks, which could be released as early as 2025.
So, what has changed that has led Apple to reconsider touchscreens for their laptops?
One of the most significant factors driving this change is the limitations of the current MacBook form factor. Every year, Apple releases faster and more powerful MacBooks, but there’s only so much that can be done with the current design.
To convince people to upgrade, Apple needs to offer more than just a performance bump. This is where touchscreens come in. By incorporating touch capabilities into their MacBooks, Apple can provide users with a new level of interaction and versatility.
Apple is working on its first Macs with touchscreens in a major reversal. The company has teams working on a new MacBook Pro with a touchscreen for release in 2025. https://t.co/iqmjbetRAa
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 11, 2023
Another reason for Apple’s change of stance on touchscreens is the need to offer users a more intuitive and enjoyable experience. With a touchscreen, users can interact with their MacBooks in a more natural and familiar way, making tasks like browsing the web, editing documents, or using apps more intuitive and enjoyable.
Touchscreens also offer users more flexibility, as they can switch between laptop and tablet modes depending on their needs.
So why has it taken Apple so long to adopt touchscreens?
The answer is simple: Apple is a company that prides itself on the quality and usability of its products. Touchscreens have been around for a long time, but they have only recently become more refined and sophisticated.
For many years, touchscreens were simply not reliable enough for Apple’s standards, leading the company to focus on other features and improvements for their MacBooks.
Now, with the rapid advancements in technology, touchscreens have become more reliable and user-friendly. This, combined with the limitations of the current MacBook form factor, has led Apple to reconsider touchscreens for their laptops.
In the next section of this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at what the upcoming touchscreen MacBooks might look like and what we can expect from them.
Possible design and form factor of the touchscreen MacBook
With rumors of Apple’s upcoming touchscreen MacBooks, many are wondering what these devices might look like and what form factor they will take. Given that the current MacBook form factor might not be suitable for touchscreens, it’s likely that we’ll see a significant departure from the traditional MacBook design.
Apple has a history of filing patents for various touch-enabled technologies, and these patents give us some clues as to what the touchscreen MacBooks might look like. For example, there are patents for touch-enabled bezels, which could be used to display app buttons and notifications.
There are also patents for dual screens, with the bottom screen being configurable to support rotatable dials, an array of buttons, and a virtual keyboard. Finally, there are patents for touch-enabled bases, which would allow users to interact with their MacBooks in new and innovative ways.
One of the most interesting possibilities for the touchscreen MacBook is the possibility of a 2-in-1 device. This device would be a MacBook by default, but with a detachable screen that becomes an iPad. This type of device would offer users the best of both worlds, giving them the versatility of a MacBook and the portability of an iPad.
However, there are some challenges that would need to be overcome in order to make this type of device a reality. One of the biggest challenges is relocating the brains of the MacBook to the screen. Currently, the brains of the MacBook are located in the base, but with a 2-in-1 device, they would need to be relocated to the screen, which would always be with the user.
This would result in a MacBook with a very thick screen and a very thin base, which would likely not be able to support the whole device.
Another challenge would be ensuring that the device is affordable. A 2-in-1 device that incorporates the brains of a MacBook and the screen of an iPad would be significantly more expensive than a traditional MacBook or iPad.
In order to make this type of device accessible to a broader audience, Apple would need to find a way to keep the cost down.
In the final section of this article, we’ll be taking a look at how the touchscreen MacBook might fit into Apple’s current lineup and what we can expect from it in terms of pricing.
Fit of the touchscreen MacBook in Apple’s current lineup
Apple’s current lineup of products is about to see a major change with the rumored introduction of a touchscreen MacBook. However, the question remains, where will this new device fit in Apple’s current lineup?
According to the original text, there are two options for the placement of the touchscreen MacBook in Apple’s lineup.
Option 1 is for Apple to discontinue the iPad line, at least for large screen iPads, and replace it with the MacBook/iPad hybrid. However, this option is unlikely given that the iPad generates close to $30 billion in revenue per year. Discontinuing the iPad line would mean giving up a significant source of revenue for Apple.
Option 2 is to introduce the touchscreen MacBook as a new category of MacBooks, positioned above the MacBook Pros in both functionality and price. This option is more likely given that Apple is reportedly working on a large screen 14″ iPad Pro. This suggests that Apple is not ready to give up on its plans for large screen iPads.
The expected price of the touchscreen MacBook is expected to be high, possibly more expensive than the combined cost of an iPhone and a MacBook Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold, a two-in-one device with a similar form factor, costs $1800. However, the cost of a MacBook Touch is expected to be much higher, with a starting price of around $3000.
Here’s a comprehensive overview of the rumored Touchscreen MacBooks and their potential impact on the tech industry:
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Steve Jobs’ statement about touchscreens | Touch surfaces don’t work well in vertical positions and can cause hand fatigue |
| Recent rumors about Apple’s touchscreen MacBooks | Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen MacBooks, expected to launch as early as 2025 |
| Reasons for Apple’s change of stance on touchscreens | Apple has been against touchscreens for a decade, but limitations of the current MacBook form factor and the need to offer more than just performance upgrades may have led to a change in their stance |
| Possible design and form factor of the touchscreen MacBook | Apple may implement touch-enabled bezels, dual screens, and touch-enabled bases in their MacBooks. The touchscreen MacBook may also take the form of a 2-in-1 device, with a detachable screen that doubles as an iPad. However, there are challenges in relocating the “brains” of the MacBook to the screen |
| Fit of the touchscreen MacBook in Apple’s lineup | The touchscreen MacBook may either replace the iPad line or be introduced as a new category of MacBooks. The high expected cost of the device may be more expensive than an iPhone and MacBook Pro combined |
The introduction of a touchscreen MacBook will bring significant changes to Apple’s current lineup of products. While the iPad Pro already provides similar functionality, the high expected cost of the MacBook Touch raises questions about its necessity.
Only time will tell whether the touchscreen MacBook will be a success or not, but one thing is for sure, it will be interesting to see how it fits into Apple’s current lineup.
