Affordable $599 MacBook tipped to launch towards the end of 2025, OLED MacBook Pro with touch panel on track for late 2026
Apple may finally be ready to blur the line between the MacBook and iPad. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is preparing to add a touch panel to future MacBook models for the first time, based on Apple’s observation that many iPad users rely on touch, and in some situations, it makes working faster and easier.
Kuo claims the OLED MacBook Pro, slated to enter mass production by late 2026, will integrate touch functionality using on-cell touch technology. This would mark a significant departure from Apple’s long-held position that touch is best reserved for the iPad.
However, not every MacBook in Apple’s pipeline is expected to embrace touch right away. The long-rumoured affordable MacBook, powered by an iPhone-class A-series processor, is still on track to enter mass production in Q4 2025 but will reportedly ship without a touch panel. Kuo says Apple might add touch support in a second version of the budget MacBook, which is expected around 2027.
$599 MacBook rumours with iPhone chip
Notebookcheck has previously reported, citing DigiTimes, that Apple is working on a $599 MacBook to sit below the MacBook Air and Pro models. The earlier report said the cheaper MacBook may be Apple’s way of balancing MacBook Air prices, and it could come with the same A18 Pro SoC as the iPhone 16 Pro and a 12.9-inch screen.
DigiTimes further claimed the model could be offered in multiple colour options such as pink, blue, and yellow, giving it a more youthful appeal.
OLED MacBook Pro with touch support
Adding touch support to the MacBook Pro could be a game-changer for professionals who juggle between Mac and iPad workflows, while keeping the cheaper iPhone-chip MacBook touch-free in its first generation may help Apple avoid cannibalising iPad sales. With Apple Intelligence requiring newer silicon like the A18 Pro and M-series chips, even the entry-level model should offer AI-driven features out of the box.
Apple appears to be diversifying its MacBook lineup on two fronts, premium models with OLED and touch integration for power users, and a budget-friendly option that makes the Mac ecosystem accessible to more buyers than ever before.
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