Apple has consistently avoided to put touchscreens in their MacBooks for years. They have argued that using a trackpad and keyboard combination is the best method to use macOS, highlighting the advantages of accurate gestures and specialized control buttons. This has allowed MacBooks, which are made for professional workflows, and iPads, which are made for touch-based content consumption, to remain clearly apart. But a recent patent grant raises the possibility that Apple is changing its mind and that touch-enabled MacBooks are about to become a standard.
Why did Apple Moved Away from Touchscreens?
Apple has historically been resistant to touchscreens in MacBooks for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the business has prioritized a precise and effective user experience. They contend that for complex activities, a keyboard and trackpad combo provides more control and accuracy than a finger on a touch screen. In addition, Apple has continued to distinguish clearly between MacBooks and iPads. The keyboard and trackpad combination has shown to be successful for MacBooks, which are focused on professional workflows, whereas iPads, which are made for portability and content consumption, substantially benefit from a touch interface.
Details of the Touchscreen Patent:
There are hints about potential future MacBook models from Apple that have touchscreen integration in the recently awarded patent “Touch Sensing Utilizing Integrated Micro Circuitry.” When you look closer, you can see that the design is quite elegant and incorporates touch chiplets together with LEDs or OLEDs that are incorporated right into the screen. This shows that Apple is imagining a touchscreen that is completely integrated and tailored for their products, rather than merely evaluating any touchscreen.
Although the patent does not guarantee a touchscreen MacBook Pro’s release right away, it does signal a significant change. With Apple’s current investigation into touchscreen technology, a more adaptable MacBook user experience may be possible in the future. This might accommodate users who would rather use a touch-based method for specific tasks or applications, all the while keeping the trackpad and keyboard’s well-known features.
Will We See a Touchscreen MacBook Pro?
A touchscreen MacBook Pro is not guaranteed to happen anytime soon despite the patent being issued. Apple regularly files patents for ideas that might not always be realized. But given the timing of this breakthrough and the growing industry-wide acceptance of touchscreens in laptops, it appears Apple may be reconsidering its position.
Apple’s final decision may be influenced by various factors. There is definitely a user desire for touchscreens on MacBooks. The ability to smoothly combine touch with a macOS that is tuned for both touch and conventional input methods may also be a big benefit. But Apple also needs to think about how a touchscreen might affect current MacBook customers’ established workflows and make sure it doesn’t undermine the main advantages of their laptop lineup.
In the end, it’s unclear if the MacBook Pro will have a touchscreen. But the patent that was issued shows that Apple is open to investigating the possibilities and might even change the way we use their computers in the future. It remains to be seen whether this results in a touchscreen revolution for MacBooks, but this breakthrough clearly represents a turning moment in the history of Apple’s core laptop lineup.
