Apple's First Touchscreen: Could Your Next MacBook Support Finger Tap Operation?

In the early hours of October 20, Apple sent out event invitations themed "High-end arena, masters only", inviting selected media to travel to Los Angeles to experience new products. The event will kick off at 10 a.m. local time on October 28, which corresponds to 1 a.m. Beijing time on October 29.

Different from traditional Apple Events, this event has not announced a public live broadcast arrangement for the time being. Following Apple's practice of releasing smart home products earlier this month, new products are more likely to be announced via official website press releases, while invited media will get hands-on experience in Los Angeles.

According to previous leaks, the OLED-version MacBook model equipped with a touch screen is very likely to be the highlight of this event. In addition, the new iPad mini, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac equipped with M6 are also expected to make their debut together.

This article compiles the leaks and information related to these new products.

▍MacBook Ultra

According to leaks from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, apart from different chips adopted by this year's new flagship MacBook model and the entry-level model, the screen may also become a major difference: the high-end model is expected to adopt an OLED screen and support touch operation.

It is still uncertain whether this product will eventually continue to be called MacBook Pro or adopt the rumored name MacBook Ultra. In his Power On newsletter in March this year, Gurman no longer simply referred to it as the next-generation MacBook Pro, but described it as a higher-positioned high-end MacBook model that may be sold alongside the current model. He said Apple may also continue to use the traditional MacBook Pro name, but MacBook Ultra will more clearly reflect its top-tier position in the product line, and media such as MacRumors have also used the name MacBook Ultra mentioned in this leak in multiple reports.

According to Gurman's report, Apple is also adjusting the interaction of macOS for touch operations, for example, magnifying controls when the user touches menu bar items to make options easier to tap with fingers, while supporting operations such as pinch to zoom and scrolling. In addition, MacRumors also stated that the touch-screen MacBook Ultra will adopt an enhanced hinge to reduce screen shaking during touch operations. In this regard, more clues have been found in the macOS 27.2 beta: Dock icons will be magnified when long pressed, and codes related to touch gestures have also appeared in applications such as Safari, Notes, Photos and Quick Look.

According to supply chain reports from South Korean display industry media The Elec, the panels prepared by Samsung Display for the new MacBook Ultra may adopt a double-layer tandem OLED structure, which MacRumors later aggregated in its news. Similar technologies have been used on iPad Pro. By stacking two light-emitting layers, this structure can improve brightness while enhancing energy efficiency and panel lifespan.

Image source: MacRumors

It should be noted that the touch-screen MacBook model will still retain the keyboard and trackpad, so users can continue to use the familiar operation methods, and touch only provides an additional interaction option. In his report "Apple’s Touch-Screen Laptop to Have Dynamic Island, New Mac Interface" on February 24, Mark Gurman mentioned that the new MacBook Pro may also replace the notch with a punch-hole camera and introduce Dynamic Island. Currently, macOS can already display Live Activities from iPhone, which raises people's expectations: If Dynamic Island comes to macOS, how will Apple utilize this area at the top of the screen?

macOS already supports Live Activities

In addition to the screen and interaction, the portability of the new MacBook Pro is also expected to be improved. In the Power On newsletter on October 4, Gurman stated that Apple has shrunk some internal components and rearranged the layout, so the new machine is expected to have a significantly reduced weight. However, weight reduction does not necessarily mean obvious thinning, Gurman later added that the new machine may not have a significant change in thickness in the end.

Subsequent reports are different from the leaks at the beginning of the year: the high-end touch-screen model is expected not to adopt M6 Pro or M6 Max, but to retain the M5 Pro / M5 Max options; at the same time, the touch-screen version is not expected to replace the M5 Pro / M5 Max models released in March this year, but to serve as a higher-priced option sold alongside the existing models.

▍iPad mini

For users who prefer small-sized tablets, the new iPad mini is also worth paying attention to: the screen, chip and part of the body design are expected to be updated.

Image source: MacRumors

The screen of the new iPad mini is expected to be upgraded to OLED. Relevant reports aggregated product plan news from Gurman and supply chain reports from ETNews, both of which point to this upgrade. However, the specific specifications and actual performance of the new screen remain to be announced by Apple; in terms of refresh rate, according to multiple supply chain leaks aggregated by media such as MacRumors, the new iPad mini will use an 8.4-inch 60Hz LTPS OLED panel, and still does not support the adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.

Clues found by Aaron Perris, a writer for MacRumors, in the iPadOS system code show that the new iPad mini is expected to be directly upgraded from the currently equipped A17 Pro chip to the latest A20 Pro chip.

In terms of appearance, the front camera of the new iPad mini may be moved to a position suitable for landscape use, and the speaker design may also be adjusted. In addition, Gurman previously reported that Apple is exploring a vibration speaker solution to improve the waterproof performance of the new iPad mini. However, the specific implementation method and protection capability remain to be confirmed.

Apart from the upgrades, the price of the new iPad mini is also worth noting. Citing people familiar with the matter in the Power On newsletter, Gurman said that the selling price of the new iPad mini will be significantly higher than the current model, and he personally estimates that it may be close to 799 US dollars, but this figure has not been confirmed yet.

▍Other Mac Updates

In addition to the touch-screen MacBook Ultra, Apple is expected to update the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro during this event, with the main upgrade being the M6 chip, and the appearance is expected to continue the existing design. The same report also mentioned that the iMac is also expected to be upgraded to the M6 chip, and the appearance will not have obvious changes either.

According to 9to5Mac's reprint, Gurman revealed in the Power On podcast that Apple Store plans to adjust the in-store display from the evening of November 5 to November 6, and based on this judgment, the new Mac and iPad mini may go on sale on November 6. However, the actual release arrangement is subject to the information announced by Apple.

Original link: https://sspai.com/post/116923?utm_source=wechat&utm_medium=social 

This article is from the WeChat Official Account Sspai (ID: sspaime), Author: Vanilla, published by 36Kr with authorization.