[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Apple could launch its first touchscreen MacBook Pro as early as October, a report said.

According to IT outlet 9to5Mac on Aug. 22, Apple is expected to break with its previous stance of not adopting touch displays on Mac laptops and add touch support with a redesigned next-generation MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Pro is at the center of the change. The new model is likely to arrive with a major redesign. There is also speculation the name could be "MacBook Ultra", but the article does not present it as confirmed information. The key point is that the MacBook Pro lineup is being consolidated toward supporting touch later this year.

Signs found in macOS 27 are also bolstering that outlook. Apple is said to have included touch support for Sidecar, a pull-to-refresh function and slightly larger menu bar items in a test version. The outlet noted the changes could be "just a coincidence, but it is probably what it looks like". That suggests some interface adjustments are being made in advance with touch input in mind.

On the hardware side, the biggest change is expected to be the display. The redesigned MacBook Pro is expected to use tandem OLED. The panel is similar to the approach used in the iPad Pro and features a stacked structure that enhances colour reproduction, contrast ratio and brightness. If Apple applies the panel to the MacBook Pro, it could strengthen not only screen quality but also differentiation for its premium lineup.

There is also speculation that a Dynamic Island could be added at the top of the display. It is likely to be somewhat smaller than on the iPhone, and Face ID is unlikely to be supported. The outlet also reported that "Face ID support will not be included". That suggests the biometric authentication system is likely to remain the existing MacBook approach, separate from the move to touch.

Apple's chip strategy is also drawing attention. There had been expectations that the redesigned MacBook Pro would use the M6 Pro and M6 Max, but another outlook says Apple could skip those chips to accelerate toward the M7. In that case, the first touchscreen MacBook Pro would use the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max. The article said the first chips on a 2-nanometre process may shift not to this redesign but to the next M7-based products.

The initial models are expected to focus on the high end. There is speculation that a base model will not come immediately and that a separately redesigned base MacBook Pro with an M7 chip could arrive as early as next spring. It could roll out touch first on higher-end models and then expand to the base model later.

The design is expected to become slightly thinner and lighter than it is now. How noticeable the change will be remains unclear. 9to5Mac said recent MacBook Pro designs felt somewhat thick and hefty, adding that slimming down without hurting thermal performance would be a welcome change.

A price increase is being discussed as a possibility. The outlet projected that, reflecting the impact of Apple's price increases after a June memory crisis, the 14-inch model could start at at least $2,499 and the 16-inch model could be around $2,999. It said these are projections rather than confirmed prices.

If Apple does release a touchscreen MacBook Pro in October, the MacBook lineup would face a major turning point in both input methods and product positioning. In particular, if touch support, OLED and a new design are bundled together, the product could be an update that changes the MacBook Pro user experience itself rather than a simple specification upgrade.