Apple MacBook Ultra: macOS 27.2 offers touchscreen clues

The MacBook Pro ($1,839 on Amazon) is expected to get a successor as early as late October with shipments possibly not starting until November. This next-generation MacBook Pro, which may be marketed as the MacBook Ultra, is said to feature a completely new design for the first time since the launch of the MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Max in October 2021, becoming thinner and, above all, significantly lighter.

Aside from that, the display is by far the most exciting new feature. For one thing, Apple is rumored to be putting an OLED display in a Mac for the first time, replacing the Mini-LED display used over the past five years. For another, the MacBook Ultra is expected to be the first-ever Mac equipped with a touchscreen. The code in the third beta version of macOS 27.2 now contains several references to touchscreen support.

Programmer @madeby_ldt discovered a new icon for a MacBook screen protector as well as a new Dock animation – icons will respond when touched for a few seconds to simulate a right-click. MacRumors also found indications that several macOS apps will support touchscreen gestures in the future, including Apple's Safari web browser, the Photos and Notes apps, and Quick Look. The first version of macOS 27 Golden Gate already introduced some touchscreen features, such as the ability to reload a webpage by pulling it down.