Apple’s second-generation MacBook Neo now looks set to miss out on a touch screen, even though earlier rumors briefly suggested the feature was under consideration. The latest talk points to a simple outcome: Apple is still expected to refresh the low-cost laptop next year, but touch support no longer appears to be part of that plan.
That makes sense when you look at where the MacBook Neo sits in Apple’s lineup. It starts at a very low price, so adding a touch display would raise costs and make it harder for Apple to keep the machine affordable. For a budget Mac, Apple seems more focused on core upgrades like better performance and more memory.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple has not decided to expand touch support beyond a future high-end MacBook Pro.
“I’d be shocked if a touch screen comes to the Neo in the next three years,” Gurman said.
The bigger change now looks set to be an A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM, which would give the next MacBook Neo a more practical upgrade path than a touch screen.
I am almost ready to abandon my aging iPad and find myself wondering if gains with a Neo would offset my iPad losses – specifically touch screen.. The Neo has a lot of us thinking.