According to the rumor mill, Apple will release its first touchscreen Mac in late 2026 or early 2027. That’s an exciting possibility, but it raises the question: what does this mean for the iPad?
I think Lloyd Coombes of Tom’s Guide has the answer: Apple should make the Apple Pencil the touch device for a touchscreen Mac, not necessarily your finger.
From his article (which you should read in its entirety): If it [Apple] can roll out a touchscreen MacBook that uses the Apple Pencil, it could position the platform as the go-to for artists, note-takers and more, in a way that the iPad (despite its many positives) hasn’t quite achieved for many.
…. In any case, it feels like having an Apple Pencil-centric interface for macOS (while potentially more expensive) could be a great way to foster a second coming of a creator-based community for Apple.
Expanding on Lloyd’s idea, I think if the Apple Pencil were the main way to navigate a Mac touchscreen, the iPad could still thrive by being the main device for extensive digital drawing and painting. For example, you can lay the tablet flat for drawing purposes, which would make illustrating and painting easier than on a Mac sitting upright.
Will a touchscreen Mac cannibalize iPad sales? Perhaps. But as an Apple exec once said (and I’m paraphrasing here), “We don’t worry about cannibalizing — as long its one Apple product cannibalizing another.”
Plus, a touchscreen Mac is likely to be ultra-expensive, which means the iPad would appeal to digital artists who can’t afford, or don’t need, a high end laptop for their artistic endeavors. And since the rumored touchscreen is expected to also have a new design, an OLED display, and perhaps cellular connectivity, I’m betting it will be very pricey indeed.
I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support.
