Another MacBook Pro with an OLED screen rumor has popped up, but this one has an interesting twist.
It’s from one of the regular leakers on all things Apple who inhabit X (formerly Twitter), Revegnus, who joins the club of those predicting that Apple will bring out its OLED-toting MacBook Pro models (14.2-inch and 16.2-inch) in 2026 or possibly 2027.
The twist in the tale with this report is the claim that it’ll be a touchscreen OLED panel.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻1. Apple is expected to introduce a display-integrated touchscreen technology in the OLED MacBook anticipated to be released in 2026–2027.2. The OLED MacBook Pro, expected to be released in 14.2-inch and… pic.twitter.com/rCq7XknIqqNovember 20, 2023
Further to that, Revegnus believes that Apple will push out OLED MacBook Air models – 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch – which are touchscreen-equipped, too.
The touchscreen tech used will be different from the typical method of adding the touch panel in front of the screen, and rather, it’ll be directly integrated into the display. The tech is known as ‘Y-OCTA’ when it comes to Samsung Display or ‘Touch On Encapsulation (TOE)’ for LG Display, and presumably Apple is considering both these options.
Analysis: The magic touch?
As mentioned, the MacBook Pro OLED arriving in 2026 or 2027 is now a common rumor from multiple sources, giving it more weight – though with plans that are a few years down the line, a lot can change as time rolls on. This fully echoes what leaker Ross Young said recently, with the belief that 2026 is the more likely date for a launch – though it could slide to the following year (as discussed elsewhere).
The mentioned new touchscreen tech should offer both savings on the bill of materials, or overall cost of making the laptop, as well as facilitating a thinner panel (which is particularly important in the case of the MacBook Air, of course – the OLED version of which is rumored to follow the MacBook Pro).
Of course, a touchscreen MacBook is a somewhat surprising prediction that we haven’t witnessed much chatter about – though there have been some rumblings from rumor-ville earlier this year that Apple is exploring the idea.
Famously, Apple declared a touchscreen was an unnecessary addition to a laptop – back in the days of Steve Jobs – but that philosophy seems to have stuck around somewhat, given that we still haven’t seen a touch panel on one of the company’s notebooks, or even much talk of one, when these laptops are now commonplace with other manufacturers.
Really, it’s about time Apple embraced the reality of the notebook market in that respect. It’s possible that the delay in bringing touchscreen panels to the MacBook may be at least partially wrapped up in supply issues, or similar considerations, rather than any reticence to actually adopt touch for its laptops.
Still, there are those who aren’t keen on a touchscreen for the MacBook. They are mostly afraid of the extra cost that the tech will add to the range, and perhaps the thought that their fancy new OLED screen is going to end up covered in fingerprints. Although it’s possible Apple will make some models with a touchscreen, and others without.
As we touched on earlier (unintentional pun, honest) the truth is that what Apple is planning now – even if this latest rumor is true – may not hold through the next few years of development. We shall just have to see, but this is certainly an indication that the touchscreen MacBook is finally inbound.
Via Wccftech
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