Apple’s Touch MacBook to Use M5 Pro and Max Chips, With M7 Models to Follow

Apple’s Touch MacBook to Use M5 Pro and Max Chips, With M7 Models to Follow

Apple is preparing to launch its first-ever touchscreen MacBook, marking a dramatic reversal of a long-standing corporate philosophy that touch input did not belong on the Mac. According to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new laptops are on track to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027.

The upcoming machines will be available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. While these models represent a major shift in design, they will not feature a new processor family. Instead, they will utilize the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which debuted in MacBook Pro models in spring 2026. These chips already support up to 128GB of unified memory on the Max variant and offer battery life up to 24 hours in current Pro models.

Industrial Redesign and OLED Integration

The new hardware will feature an updated industrial design, the first visual change to high-end MacBooks since 2021. A key component of this redesign is the transition to OLED screens, which replace the existing mini-LED panels. This change is expected to provide deeper blacks, faster pixel response times, and improved power efficiency. Some reports suggest the devices may use the tandem-OLED technology found in iPad Pros, marketed as Ultra Retina XDR.

For the first time on a Mac, Apple will introduce the Dynamic Island interface, replacing the current notch design. This interactive area around the camera cutout is expected to house the new Siri, Live Activities, and various system notifications and app controls. While the laptops will introduce touch-enabled screens and a hole-punch camera, they will retain the traditional keyboard and trackpad.

The M6 Gap and the Shift to M7

The decision to reuse M5 silicon follows a strategic shift in Apple's processor roadmap. While an M6 chip for entry-level Macs is expected as soon as this year, Apple has reportedly canceled plans for M6 Pro and M6 Max variants entirely. This move compresses the traditional annual refresh cycle, leaving the M5 Pro and Max as the flagship notebook processors for a longer period.

Apple is instead accelerating the development of the M7 family, code-named Andros. The M7 Pro, M7 Max, and M7 Ultra chips are currently in advanced testing and are planned for release as early as the end of 2027. According to Gurman, the M7 series is being designed to support more demanding AI workloads and will include expanded memory bandwidth, graphics improvements, and vastly upgraded neural accelerators.

"Apple Inc.'s first-ever touch-screen laptop will rely on the company's current high-end M5 chips, rather than next-generation silicon,"

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

By skipping the high-end M6 chips, Apple is prioritizing on-device AI capabilities and machine learning tasks over incremental raw speed increases. This means early adopters of the touchscreen MacBook will see a performance refresh within 12 to 18 months of purchase when the M7 models arrive.

Market Positioning and Pricing

The touchscreen device is expected to sit at the top of the lineup as an ultra-premium offering, potentially branded as a MacBook Ultra. It will complement rather than replace the standard MacBook Pro series. Due to these upgrades and recent price increases across the Mac line—including the 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro, which now starts at $2,499 after a $300 increase—the touchscreen models are expected to be pricey.

The move comes after years of resistance. Former CEO Steve Jobs once argued that touch surfaces are not ergonomic for vertical displays, while SVP Phil Schiller previously suggested that converging the Mac and iPad would result in a compromised experience. To avoid a Touch Bar 2.0 failure, Apple is reportedly modifying macOS to treat touch as an additional input method rather than a replacement for the trackpad.

The first touchscreen M5 models are expected to debut between late 2026 and early 2027, with the M7-powered successors following by the end of 2027.