Apple’s Next MacBook Pro: Touchscreen, OLED, and a Price Hike on the Horizon
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A major redesign of the MacBook pro, including a touchscreen, OLED display, and a slimmer profile, is still in the works at Apple, though the launch has been pushed back to late 2025 due to ongoing supply chain challenges. The anticipated changes represent a significant departure for Apple, which has historically resisted incorporating touch functionality into its professional laptops.
A Long-Awaited Transformation
For years,industry observers have predicted a substantial overhaul of the MacBook Pro line. According to reports, Apple’s plans haven’t wavered despite the delay, with internal codenames K114 and K116 attached to the upcoming models. This move marks a notable shift, as Apple previously experimented with the Touch Bar – a small touchscreen strip above the keyboard – before discontinuing it in 2021.
The addition of a touchscreen would bring the MacBook Pro in line with manny Windows laptops, which have offered the feature for years. Though, Apple is reportedly aiming for a more refined experience, incorporating reinforced hinges to prevent screen wobble during touch interaction.
Beyond Touch: Face ID and Future Processors
The changes aren’t limited to the display. Apple is also exploring a transition from Touch ID fingerprint scanning to face ID authentication, a feature already prevalent on iPhones.Though, this particular upgrade is still several years away from realization.
Before the major redesign arrives, users can expect incremental updates to the existing MacBook Pro models. Updates featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are slated for release in early 2024. Furthermore, refreshed versions of the MacBook Air, Mac studio, Mac Mini, and updated monitors are also in progress.
The next generation of MacBook Pros will be powered by the M6 series Apple processors, offering a significant performance boost. Apple is also planning to integrate a hole-punch style webcam, similar to the one found on recent iPhones and featuring the Dynamic Island interface.
The Cost of Innovation
These advancements won’t come cheap. Analysts predict the new MacBook Pros will carry a price increase of “a few hundred dollars.” Initially, these premium features are expected to be exclusive to the higher-end MacBook Pro models, with Apple unlikely to incorporate them into its more affordable laptops in the first iteration.
Why: Apple is planning a major redesign of the MacBook Pro, driven by consumer demand for features like touchscreens and improved authentication methods, and the need to stay competitive with Windows laptops.
Who: Apple is the primary actor, with industry analysts and observers providing insights into the plans. The target audience is professional users and consumers of high-end laptops.
What: The redesign includes a touchscreen, OLED display, slimmer profile, potential transition to Face ID, and integration of the M6 series processors with features like the Dynamic Island. Incremental updates with M5 chips are also planned for early 2024.
How did it end? The major redesign is currently delayed until late 2025 due to supply chain issues. Before then, users can expect
