If you were hoping that the next MacBook Neo would get a touchscreen upgrade, you may need to lower your expectations. It seems Apple hasn’t even decided yet whether to expand touchscreen support beyond the high-end MacBook Pro, which may get touch support later this year.
What does Apple plan to do then?
While recent rumors have talked about a second-generation MacBook Neo with touchscreen support, Mark Gurman’s latest Power On report says otherwise. Gurman stated that he would be “shocked” if Apple introduced touch support for the Neo within the next three years.
He also adds that even if Apple expands the touchscreen to more Macs, the MacBook Neo probably won’t be the first candidate. The MacBook Air would make more sense as the next device to take on this function. According to the report, this model will only see a major display upgrade (with OLED) in the next two years.
Based on this timeline alone, touchscreen Macs will likely come to market gradually, starting with the higher-end models and moving down the lineup.
Affordability or touchscreen?
Another important reason is the cost. The MacBook Neo is specifically designed to be Apple’s most affordable laptop, starting at $599 or $499 for students. To achieve this price, the company reportedly had to rethink many internal components and carefully balance the hardware.
So adding a touchscreen display would increase the manufacturing cost. This could undermine the Neo’s entire value proposition. In other words, the feature that makes the Neo so attractive also prevents it from getting these expensive upgrades.
Gurman’s report suggests that if touchscreen Macs do become more common, they will likely make their way to premium models first, with budget models like the MacBook Neo waiting in line. So if you’re dreaming of a touchscreen MacBook Neo for $599, you might have to wait a while.
