Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro marks a major shift in its laptop strategy, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes the company has played it safe and still has room to improve.
Apple has broken away from its long-held belief that touchscreen MacBooks would eat into the iPad’s territory with the launch of its all-new touchscreen laptops. At previous launches and product reveals, Steve Jobs had showcased his reluctance towards a touch-based laptop, but that has now changed with the launch of the new MacBook Pros.
However, there is still scope for improvement. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman regards the new touchscreen MacBook as a safe launch for Apple. He adds that the addition of a touchscreen panel should have been treated as the biggest change to the Mac in more than half a decade. Instead, Apple has presented it as more of a routine upgrade.
Rather than using the new platform to set new industry standards, Apple has focused on making the updated models lighter and slightly thinner, with better heat management and a more capable cooling system. The new additions have been carefully curated to close the gap with Windows laptop makers, which have highlighted these features for years, while making interactions across Apple’s products more consistent.
Gurman highlights a few areas where Apple could certainly improve. These include the inability to fold the laptop into a position where it can be used as a tablet, as well as the lack of Apple Pencil support. This goes to show that Apple does not want to include any add-ons that may dissuade people from buying iPads.
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Gurman revealed that Apple is expected to unveil an all-new second-generation version of the touchscreen MacBook Pro, equipped with M7 Pro and M7 Max chips that enable new AI hardware capabilities. Apple is also planning an entry-level 14-inch M7 MacBook Pro that adopts the thinner, lighter design and slimmer bezels introduced on the higher-end versions this past week.
Gurman writes “Things should get at least slightly more interesting next year, when Apple introduces second-generation versions of the touch MacBook Pro. These models will sport M7 Pro and M7 Max chips that enable new AI hardware capabilities. Apple is also planning an entry-level 14-inch M7 MacBook Pro that adopts the thinner, lighter design and slimmer bezels introduced on the higher-end versions this past week”.
Things should get at least slightly more interesting next year, when Apple introduces second-generation versions of the touch MacBook Pro. These models will sport M7 Pro and M7 Max chips that enable new AI hardware capabilities. Apple is also planning an entry-level 14-inch M7 MacBook Pro that adopts the thinner, lighter design and slimmer bezels introduced on the higher-end versions this past week.
It is still unclear whether Apple will retain two classes of premium laptops, with and without touchscreens, or introduce a new lineup with all-inclusive features.
With the new launches expected next year, the company should be working quickly towards refining its Mac and iPad designs to retain its lead.
