Apple is reportedly preparing to make touchscreen MacBook Pros the norm at the top of its laptop range. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, writing in the Power On newsletter, the company plans to stop selling premium MacBook Pro configurations without a touchscreen, with the first touch-enabled models expected in 2027. The change would turn touch input into a marker of the most expensive MacBook Pro tiers rather than an optional extra.
A line drawn by chip and screen
Under the reported plan, the dividing line inside the MacBook Pro family would be drawn by both processor and display. Models equipped with Pro and Max chips would carry touchscreens, while entry-level configurations using base-model chips would remain without touch. The higher-end 16-inch MacBook Pro versions that lack a touchscreen are the ones said to be on the way out.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to stay as the more accessible option in the lineup. Reports point to an M7 processor and a thinner chassis for that model, and suggest it is unlikely to gain a touchscreen. That would leave Apple’s mainstream professional laptop as a non-touch machine while the flagship tiers move in a different direction.
Prices that separate the tiers
The reported split comes with a steep pricing gap. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is cited at $1,999, while the touchscreen model is said to start at $2,899. That difference would make the display a major factor in how buyers compare MacBook Pro models, alongside the processor, memory, graphics and screen quality that have historically pushed a configuration into a higher price bracket.
Apple’s broader laptop range already spreads across several price points. The MacBook Neo, introduced this year, sits at the low end and opened the MacBook line to a market where Apple previously had limited reach. The MacBook Air occupies the middle ground. The 14-inch MacBook Pro follows as a step up for professionals who need more than a midrange machine but may not want to pay flagship prices.
What buyers will weigh
If the reports hold, the decision facing MacBook Pro shoppers in 2027 will be less about how much processing power they need and more about whether a touchscreen justifies a considerably larger outlay. The touchscreen would become a defining feature of the premium models, reinforcing the distinction between Apple’s mainstream laptops and its highest-end pro devices.
For now, the plan remains reported rather than confirmed. What is clear from the accounts is the direction: touch input moving from a novelty to a standard feature on the most expensive MacBook Pros, and a wider gap between the entry-level and flagship ends of Apple’s laptop lineup.
