Apple’s Pro and Tell event: Live updates as we wait to see a MacBook Pro with a touch screen
Apple is expected to unveil a MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen at its “Pro and Tell” event in Los Angeles. If confirmed, the launch would mark a notable change after years of anticipation for touchscreens on Mac laptops.
Reports suggest the device could be called the “MacBook Ultra”, though that name is uncertain. Apple has already announced an OLED iPad mini, a 14-inch MacBook Pro and an iMac with M6 chips this week; the live coverage says the event is scheduled for 1pm Eastern Time, with its liveblog beginning at 10am.
In short
- Apple is expected to reveal a touchscreen MacBook.
- The rumoured name is MacBook Ultra.
- Several other Apple products were announced this week.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A touch-screen MacBook Pro could make creative and everyday tasks more direct, especially for people who want to tap, draw or navigate without switching devices. If Apple pairs touch input with its existing laptop software and hardware, it could offer users more flexibility while keeping the familiar Mac experience.
The case against
A touch screen may add cost and complexity to a laptop whose keyboard, trackpad and macOS are already designed for precise use without reaching across the display. It could also blur the distinction between MacBooks and iPads, so Apple would need to show that the feature improves the laptop rather than simply adding another way to interact.
Explained simply
Apple’s MacBook Pro is its high-performance laptop, aimed at people who need more power for work such as video editing, music production and software development. Mac laptops have traditionally relied on a keyboard, trackpad or mouse, while Apple’s iPads are designed for touch.
That difference has prompted years of interest in whether Apple would add touch controls to a MacBook. A touch screen could change how people interact with the laptop, while raising questions about how touch fits with its existing keyboard and trackpad design.