Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple is expected to launch touchscreen MacBook Pro models that will feature OLED displays and the iPhone Dynamic Island in late 2026.
- These new 14-inch and 16-inch models will feature an updated user interface that adapts between touch and traditional input methods.
- The dynamic island appears as a smaller cutout for the pinhole camera, while touch-oriented controls activate when the user interacts with the screen.
In his latest article, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman provides some details about the touchscreen Mac laptops we’ve been hearing about for a while.
The new laptops – specifically the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros – are currently on track for release in late 2026. The typical “October to December” timeframe doesn’t seem to be changing.
According to Gurman, the new MacBook Pros will feature OLED displays that include both touch functionality and Dynamic Island, as seen on the iPhone. Just like the iPhone, it will display the status of active tasks, sports results, notifications, timers and more. The Dynamic Island on the MacBook Pro will be centered around a punch-hole camera cutout, smaller than the “pill” shape on iPhones. If you were hoping for Face ID on the MacBook like we were, it sounds like it might not be there just yet.
But even if it doesn’t have Face ID, it will be the first Mac ever to have a touchscreen. Steve Jobs famously called touchscreen laptops a bad experience, but those statements date back almost 20 years and times have changed.
The new MacBook Pros will still have a large keyboard and trackpad and allow you to work completely touch-free if you want. But they will also feature “an updated, dynamic user interface that can switch between being optimized for touch input or point-and-click input,” according to Gurman sources. The idea is to allow users to use as much or as little touch as they want, combining it with traditional pointer input.
When users touch a control, a new menu appears around where they touch, offering touch-oriented controls. If you touch an item in the menu bar, the selections expand to a larger size than if you selected it with the pointer, making it easier to select with your finger. Of course, standard touch features such as fast scrolling and pinch zoom are also expected.
It’s not yet clear what other changes these new OLED MacBooks will have, but we’re expecting more than just a new display — earlier rumors hinted at a thinner body and other design improvements.