In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple’s MacBook Pro will receive OLED touchscreen panels by late 2026 or early 2027, marking a significant upgrade to the laptop lineup.
- Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the second-generation MacBook Neo will not feature touchscreen capabilities, despite earlier speculation about this possibility.
- The MacBook Air is expected to upgrade to OLED displays around 2028-2029, with total MacBook shipments projected to reach 25 million units.
The new MacBook Neo and M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro laptops haven’t even been out for 48 hours, and we’re already looking to the next models. Right on cue, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has offered some insight on Apple’s upcoming roadmap, which is handy if you’ve decided to forego this round of laptops and want to know what’s next.
“MacBook Pro is expected to receive a major upgrade with OLED touch panels in late 4Q26 or early 1Q27,” reports Kuo, who has reported this in the past, and is basically reaffirming his report. This falls in line with other past reports of a MacBook Pro touchscreen coming later this year. The touchscreen is expected to be the centerpiece of the M6 Pro and Max upgrades.
Kuo also reports that the second generation of the MacBook Neo won’t have a touchscreen. Kuo reports that Apple had toyed with the idea of a touchscreen Neo to challenge the touchscreen Chromebook market, but ultimately decided against it, at least for now. “My latest industry checks suggest Neo 2 may not adopt it,” Kuo writes.
As for the MacBook Air, Kuo states that Apple will upgrade the screen from an LED to an OLED display, but it won’t happen until 2028 or 2029.
The rest of Kuo’s report covers supplier-related MacBook Neo details, including an estimate of 4.5 million Neo units to be sold for this year with shipments growing steadily as back-to-school and the holiday shopping seasons approach. Adding to the Neo’s success is a struggling PC laptop market due to the escalating RAM shortage, which could result in higher prices. Kuo said he expects total MacBook shipments to reach 25 million, “the only real bright spot among laptop brands.”
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.