Apple expected to unveil first touchscreen MacBooks at Los Angeles event
Apple is expected to announce its first touchscreen MacBooks at a Los Angeles event on 28 October, reversing years of executive opposition to touch on laptops. Coverage centres on rumoured specs and whether buyers will want them.
Updated (version 2). Rewritten with the latest reporting.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Apple is expected to unveil its first touchscreen MacBooks on Wednesday 28 October at an event in Los Angeles billed as "Pro and Tell". CNAN “Apple is expected to unveil its first touchscreen MacBooks on Wednesday, abandoning a long-held aversion to the technology” Read at CNA ↗ The VergeLC “Apple is expected to finally announce a touchscreen MacBook tomorrow at its “Pro and Tell” event.” Read at The Verge ↗ Mixed · 2The move would reverse long-standing opposition from Apple's leaders: Steve Jobs called touchscreen laptops "ergonomically terrible" in 2010, and Tim Cook in 2012 likened the idea to combining a toaster and a refrigerator. CNAN “Steve Jobs saying in 2010 that touchscreens on laptops were "ergonomically terrible"” Read at CNA ↗ The VergeLC “Tim Cook’s infamous 2012 quote equating it to combining kitchen appliances” Read at The Verge ↗ Centre · 1CNA adds that John Ternus, now Apple's CEO, argued before taking the job that Apple already made a touchscreen computer in the iPad lineup. CNAN “Before becoming Apple's current CEO, John Ternus argued that Apple already made a touchscreen computer with its iPad lineup.” Read at CNA ↗
Left · 1The nearest Apple has come to touch on a Mac was the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, sold from 2016 to 2023, which replaced physical function keys with a touch strip. The VergeLC “The closest Apple got was the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, from 2016 to 2023” Read at The Verge ↗ Left · 1Rumours cited by The Verge say the touch MacBook Pro will have an OLED display, a Dynamic Island cutout instead of a notch, a thinner and lighter chassis, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and 14- and 16-inch sizes. It is also expected to come with a revised macOS 27 with touch-friendly changes. The VergeLC “rumors indicate this touch-enabled MacBook Pro will have a new OLED display”“Apple is expected to introduce a revised macOS 27 Golden Gate with touch-friendly enhancements just for this new MacBook” Read at The Verge ↗ Centre · 1CNA says Bloomberg News reported the touchscreen models will ship with existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, so they would not gain a significant performance boost, even though Apple this week announced an upgraded base MacBook Pro with a new M6 chip. CNAN “Bloomberg News has reported that it plans to ship touchscreen models with its existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips” Read at CNA ↗
Centre · 1The event follows a folding iPhone, Duo, launched in September and a smart home hub launched in New York earlier in October, as Apple heads into the holiday shopping season. CNAN “after launching a folding iPhone, Duo, at its Silicon Valley headquarters in September and a smart home hub in New York earlier this month” Read at CNA ↗ Left · 1Open questions include price, with the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starting at $2,499 before a pricier OLED touch panel, whether it works with Apple Pencil, whether the hinge stays a conventional clamshell, and whether thinner design costs performance. The VergeLC “the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro currently starts at $2,499”“will this MacBook work with an Apple Pencil, or will it be touch-only?” Read at The Verge ↗ Centre · 1Analyst Anshel Sag of Moor Insights & Strategy said Apple was "always wrong on pushing back on touch", while commentator Jason Calacanis argued buyers mainly want more memory and better processors for local AI models. CNAN “"I believe they were always wrong on pushing back on touch, and this is the long arm of reality setting in,"”“"The only thing people want is more memory and better processors for local models!"” Read at CNA ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A product-critic's preview asking whether Apple can do touch better than the Windows laptops that have had it for years, with playful opening and design worries.
- Emphasis
- Rumoured hardware and software details, price, thinness and performance trade-offs, Apple Pencil and hinge design.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the M6 base MacBook Pro, the wider product blitz or sales context.
- Charged language
- “RAMageddon”“Woof”“ill-fated Touch Bar”
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- A business-news preview treating the launch as a strategic reversal and a test of market demand ahead of the holiday season.
- Emphasis
- Apple's product launch run, executives' past opposition, analyst and commentator reactions, and whether performance gains are limited.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little on design rumours such as OLED, Dynamic Island, thinner chassis or Apple Pencil support.
- Charged language
- “abandoning a long-held aversion”“long arm of reality”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Apple is expected to announce its first touchscreen MacBooks at an event on 28 October.
- Steve Jobs (2010) and Tim Cook (2012) publicly dismissed touchscreen laptops.
- The touchscreen models are reported to use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the touchscreen MacBook brings meaningful upgrades
- Left
- The Verge sees a possible major shakeup with an OLED touchscreen, but fears performance compromises from a thinner design.
- Centre
- CNA says the use of existing M5 chips means no significant performance boost over current models.
North America1 outlet
The Verge focuses on design and usability questions for enthusiasts.
“how is Apple going to do it exactly?” — The Verge
The Verge
East and Southeast Asia1 outlet
CNA frames it as a business story about Apple's strategy and consumer demand.
“A key question for Apple is how customers will respond.” — CNA
CNA
Left1 article
-
We’ve had touchscreen laptops for years. Can Apple make them better?
Mixed Opinionated, witty preview that welcomes touch but worries about price, thinness and performance.
Centre1 article
-
CNAN ·
Apple expected to show first touchscreen laptops amid product blitz
Neutral Business preview presenting the launch as a reversal and weighing customer demand and limited chip upgrades.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 27 Oct 14:00 First The VergeLC We’ve had touchscreen laptops for years. Can Apple make them better?
- 28 Oct 11:07 +21h 7m CNAN Apple expected to show first touchscreen laptops amid product blitz
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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