According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Apple is working on adding touch screens to Macs for the first time. The company is said to be developing a new type of screen technology that will allow Mac users to interact with their computers in new ways, including using touch gestures similar to those on the iPhone and iPad.
The report suggests that the new touch screens will be integrated into new OLED models of the MacBook Pro and iMac, and that the technology could eventually be extended to other Mac models as well.
A move like this would further blur the line between iPadOS and macOS, something Apple has historically been keen to avoid. If the two devices become too similar, why would people buy both?
Steve Jobs was vocal about a touchscreen Mac being a bad idea way back in 2010, but he also said about the iPad that “if you see a stylus, they blew it” – and yet Apple Pencil is a great success. Time change, and it’s possible Apple could change its mind.
According to the report, Apple is hoping to create a more seamless experience when switching between devices. Touch is such a huge part of the app design process these days, we can see the sense in expanding it to another device.
Don’t forget that M1 and M2 Macs can already run iPhone and iPad apps, although the current lack of touch inputs means the experience isn’t always well-suited to a computer. An integrated touch screen could change that.
The addition of touch screens to Macs could also pave the way for new types of apps and software that are optimized for touch-based input. This could include everything from creativity and productivity tools to games that are designed to take advantage of the new input methods.
It’s worth noting that the report is based on anonymous sources, so ever, don’t take this as gospel. But if this report turns out to be true, it would be a pretty big shake-up in Apple’s strategy and could change the way we interact with our Macs forever.