Apple is preparing its most significant MacBook redesign in years, combining an OLED touchscreen, iPhone-style Dynamic Island, and a completely reworked macOS interface for late 2026. The upcoming M6 MacBook Pro models will mark Apple's first departure from co-founder Steve Jobs' long-standing opposition to touchscreen laptops.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will arrive toward the end of 2026 with OLED displays featuring touch capabilities. Samsung Display is gearing up to ship millions of panels for both sizes, according to supply chain sources.
The new laptops will replace the current display notch with a smaller Dynamic Island cutout at the top center of the screen. This iPhone feature will house the webcam while displaying alerts, media controls, and live activities in an interactive interface that expands contextually based on app usage.
macOS is undergoing its own transformation to accommodate touch input without compromising traditional workflows. When users tap a button or control, the system displays contextual menus around their finger with relevant options for touch commands.
Menu bar items enlarge for easier finger selection, while features like fast scrolling and pinch-to-zoom work identically to iPhone and iPad interactions.
Apple isn't positioning these as touch-first devices but rather as hybrid machines where users can switch between touch and point-and-click input interchangeably. The company plans to refresh current MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips first before introducing the redesigned M6-powered variants later in 2026.
The M6 chips themselves represent another leap forward, reportedly built on an advanced 2-nanometer manufacturing process that promises higher performance and efficiency than current Apple silicon. This processor upgrade combined with OLED technology could deliver both visual improvements and extended battery life.
This shift represents a notable reversal for Apple, whose leadership has historically dismissed touchscreen laptops as ergonomically problematic. Jobs famously declared that "touch surfaces don't want to be vertical" while criticizing Windows touch devices, while Apple's hardware chief insisted in 2021 that the iPad already served as "the best touch computer."
The late 2026 timeline suggests Apple wants to perfect both hardware and software integration before launching what could become its most adaptable laptop yet.
