Apple’s new MacBook Neo already targets the budget laptop market, yet attention has shifted to what the second generation could bring when it arrives in 2027. An older industry report suggests that Apple is considering a touchscreen for the next version, which would mark a major shift for the Mac lineup and push the device closer to the way people use an iPad today.
The first MacBook Neo focuses on affordability and simplicity. Apple priced the new entry-level laptop at $599, or $499 with education pricing, and built it around the A18 Pro chip that originally powered the iPhone 16 Pro. The device carries a colorful, rounded design, a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with iPad-style bezels, a color-matched Magic Keyboard, two USB-C ports, 8GB of memory, and a battery Apple says lasts up to 16 hours.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first discussed the possibility of a touchscreen MacBook Neo in a report shared last year. Kuo added that Apple plans to introduce touch panels using on-cell touch technology, which integrates sensors directly into the display layer to reduce thickness.
Touchscreen MacBooks Could Expand
Kuo’s report also suggested that Apple’s first touchscreen Mac will appear earlier in a redesigned OLED MacBook Pro expected to enter mass production by late 2026.
“Specifications for its second-generation version, anticipated in 2027, remain under discussion and could include touch support.”
If Apple adds touch support to macOS in the coming years, the MacBook Neo could become one of the first affordable Macs to adopt it.
