'Solving a problem that doesn't really exist': RAM crisis has reportedly delayed Apple's touchscreen MacBook but some fans don't seem to care

Date:
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:59:49 +0000

Description:
Not everyone is keen on the idea of a touchscreen MacBook in fact, there's some distinct hostility towards the idea in places.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Leaker Mark Gurman believes Apple has pushed back the MacBook Pro with touchscreen (and the Mac Studio) The next-gen laptop is likely not arriving until early 2027, with the chances of a launch this year rapidly vanishing More than anything, reaction to the news has made it clear that some Apple laptop fans really don't want a touchscreen on their MacBook Apple 's rumored MacBook Pro with a touchscreen (and OLED) is supposedly now pushed out to
next year for launch, and we're told that the Mac Studio's release has been postponed as well.

MacRumors picked up that in Mark Gurman's latest newsletter for Bloomberg , the noted Apple-watcher said it was possible that both these Macs could experience a 'slight' delay, and surprise, surprise it's due to the RAM crisis. Apparently, the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch with touchscreen are now expected to arrive in early 2027. Note that this isn't necessarily a
delay as such, because previously Gurman said these laptops were due to
arrive in a timeframe from late 2026 to early 2027. Article continues below You may like The M5 MacBook Pro may be a wiser upgrade than the rumored OLED MacBook Pro The rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro could still be missing this key feature Apple could defy the RAM crisis with rumored cheaper MacBook

So, that hasn't changed, but we're now being told that these devices won't be launched until the latter part of that window, and that this is due to the ongoing memory crisis.

Seemingly the Mac Studio has been pushed back to October 2026, whereas this
PC was previously rumored to be launching in the middle of this year, according to Gurman. We've already seen this month that some Macs are getting thinner on the ground for stock, of course, including the Mac Studio . Analysis: a touchy subject (Image credit: Apple) Clearly, it's believable enough that Apple may have to rejig some of its launch plans due to the RAM crisis . After all, the situation around memory which includes storage, the SSDs inside PCs, as well as system RAM itself has not gotten any better of late. (Although we have seen minor glints of optimism, they are just that very slight in nature ).

Okay, so it's a relatively minor (and obviously theoretical) delay; but part of what's been interesting here is the reaction to Gurman's most recent
report around the next-gen MacBook Pro (M6) with touchscreen. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Notably, there's been quite a lot of negative or doubtful feedback around the need for a touchscreen on a MacBook. As one Redditor put it : "Touch on a Mac feels like solving a problem that doesn't really exist. Trackpad and keyboard are already near perfect for what macOS is built for."

Another in the same thread observed : "The touchscreen PC fad never really went anywhere. Not sure why Apple would try it out now."

And another denizen of Reddit simply said that : "MacBook Pro with
touchscreen is a bad idea anyway." What to read next Forget the CPU in
Apple's rumored cheap MacBook I'm worried about the RAM The MacBook Pro M4 Max is facing delays, but not for the reason you might think MacBook Neo orders delayed by 2-3 weeks as Apple struggles with demand

Indeed, there's a fair outpouring of skepticism in that Reddit thread (all those comments are from the same one) about what Apple is hoping to achieve with this rumored move to a touchscreen (which will come alongside the much-awaited switch to OLED , or so we're told).

The main concern is that this is going to lead to changes in macOS to support touch functionality that'll be detrimental to the experience on existing (and indeed future) non-touch Macs.

However, if Apple did this assuming the touchscreen MacBook is indeed coming
it would presumably have to respect the lines already drawn with macOS in terms of its interface. In other words, whatever touch aspects were added to the operating system would be overlaid on top as useful extras and shortcuts an additional bonus that doesn't affect the existing platform.

As the original Redditor I quoted further notes : "Trackpad already covers most of what people want from touch without breaking workflow. Touch on a Mac feels more like a nice-to-have than something necessary."

And I think this nails it as far as the route Apple would likely take here: 'nice' additions that don't mess with existing workflows in macOS, because disrupting the latter would be foolish (in a world where most Macs still
won't have touchscreen capabilities, of course). And this pretty much aligns with what we've heard Gurman say in the past namely that Apple is going to make macOS adapt to the input method you're using, whether that's trackpad
and keyboard, or touch.

Other than that, for the anti-touchscreen crowd, or the more undecided skeptics, I guess the broader fear is that this is about where Apple might be heading for the future. And also that a touchscreen (and OLED tech) will make the MacBook Pro potentially a good deal pricier and in this climate of sky-high RAM costs we don't need any further pressures making already pricey MacBooks even more expensive.

Slight delays aside, it's clear enough that Apple is going to need to tread carefully with how it implements a touchscreen for the MacBook, if this is
the course it has set sail on. The best laptops for all budgets Our top
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/macbooks/solving-a-problem-that-doesnt-rea lly-exist-ram-crisis-has-reportedly-delayed-apples-touchscreen-macbook-but-som e-fans-dont-seem-to-care


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