MacBook Neo 2 Might Not Feature Touchscreen After All

[darngooddesign]

I won’t be getting haunted. I agree with him on the view of the touchscreen PC. Like Danhausen, “I curse you!”

Say it one more time and you’ll be haunted by the touchscreen beetlejuice

 

[Parowdy]

After all…
The first generation isn’t even at most people’s doorsteps yet and we’re already redacting (MacBook Pro) rumors?
Considering the Neo is the rumored colored MacBook nothing from like 4 years ago that most of us forgot about after the redesigned MacBook Air came out, and that no one thought would come out in 2026, maybe we should hit the breaks with next generation „rumors“?
No? Because that means less meaningless engagement on this website? Got it.

 

[attila]

Why would it? How is it at all useful on a laptop which screen cannot be flat on the desk?

 

[turbineseaplane]

The dirt cheap entry level GimpBook2 won't have a touchscreen?
I'm stunned! No way.

 

[ksec]

Upgrade to A19 would be disappointing because that would mean it would be stuck at 8gb of ram for a few years.

Yes but we are talking about a MacBook selling with EDU discount for $499.

I would be *very* surprised if they replaced the current MacBook line up completely with A19 Pro next year. It would only make sense for the higher end Touch ID model.

Considering A19 Pro this year on iPhone 17 Pro 256GB had slower SSD I wouldn't be surprised 512GB will cost an extra $100 on top of current pricing at $799.

 

[ignatius345]

Almost everyone I know has a PC or laptop thats not for work. Where are you getting that data from to make such a claim?

I think if you look globally, this is true: people in poorer economic conditions can (barely) afford to own one device, and that’s going to be a smartphone for a host of practical reasons. But also I don’t know how relevant that is to this discussion since many smartphone-only-because-they’re-poor consumers aren’t in the market for a laptop at all.

 

[jamezcua]

No ****, Sherlock

 

[perfe2sOS]

If the rumored MacBook Ultra is going to include touchscreen capabilities, and the price is going to be more than the MacBook Pro’s.. I don’t think, knowing Apple, that they will include a touchscreen for the Neo (2) without compromising the price it is currently at.

 

[Populus]

What this computer needs isn’t a touchscreen, but rather an A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM as a minimum. The 8GB of RAM on the first gen Neo is going to make it age rather quickly.

However, for some strange reason, when I opened it on the Apple Store, my hands instinctively went to touch the screen. I guess I’ve been using an iPad too many years.

 

[darngooddesign]

What this computer needs isn’t a touchscreen, but rather an A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM as a minimum. The 8GB of RAM on the first gen Neo is going to make it age rather quickly.

Next year

However, for some strange reason, when I opened it on the Apple Store, my hands instinctively went to touch the screen. I guess I’ve been using an iPad too many years.

It’s not strange that touching something directly feels more natural than using an intermediary device.

 

[turbineseaplane]

What this computer needs isn’t a touchscreen, but rather an A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM as a minimum. The 8GB of RAM on the first gen Neo is going to make it age rather quickly.

However, for some strange reason, when I opened it on the Apple Store, my hands instinctively went to touch the screen. I guess I’ve been using an iPad too many years.

Happens to all of us.

Even longtime Mac purists like John Siracusa have admitted to catching themselves "reaching for the screen".

 

[LincolnBio]

It does seem likely that if Apple is going to tweak macOS to be more touch-friendly, then touch-screens for all Macs is the eventual goal.

The Neo, with its lack of features, will probably be one of the last Macs to get a touch-screen, so it's odd that a rumor about it came up first.

 

[bodonnell202]

I hope this is true, with 12GB ram. I am just worry they might give us A19 instead.

I hope the do

A18 Pro or A19 as base model @ $599

A19 Pro 12GB RAM 256GB @ $699

A19 Pro 12GB RAM 512GB @ $799

It's clear that part of what Apple is doing here to keep costs down on their entry level products is to use binned chips. The current Macbook Neo is getting binned A18 Pro chips that had a defective GPU core and couldn't be used in the iPhone 16 Pro. With the regular A19 chip the binned chips with a defective GPU core are already being used in the iPhone 17e, but binned A19 Pro chips are most likely what will show up in the next MBN.

 

[Plerf]

After all…
The first generation isn’t even at most people’s doorsteps yet and we’re already redacting (MacBook Pro) rumors?
Considering the Neo is the rumored colored MacBook nothing from like 4 years ago that most of us forgot about after the redesigned MacBook Air came out, and that no one thought would come out in 2026, maybe we should hit the breaks with next generation „rumors“?
No? Because that means less meaningless engagement on this website? Got it.

You are always free to……not engage.

 

[Plerf]

It does seem likely that if Apple is going to tweak macOS to be more touch-friendly, then touch-screens for all Macs is the eventual goal.

The Neo, with its lack of features, will probably be one of the last Macs to get a touch-screen, so it's odd that a rumor about it came up first.

I could see Apple doing a reverso and doing it on the Neo *first*, because that’s the “Windows casual user seduction device.” That also primes the rest of the Mac laptop userbase to know change is a-comin’ and to prepare our wallets.

 

[johannnn]

lol who in their right minds would ever think that a $599 chromebook-killer from Apple would have a touchscreen

ridiculous rumor

 

[groove-agent]

When the point of the laptop is to keep it no frills, bare bones, and inexpensive, why would they add touch??

 

[MacMikePro]

In his latest newsletter called No Sh*t News

 

[10anta]

360 hinge and becomes an iPad when fully opened would be a popular product.

It doesn’t seem very Apple to cannibalise their other sales though.

 

[mgrabenstein]

MacBook Neo 2 needs to have a MagSafe.

 

[eifelbube]

Beyond tech for the sake of tech, I've never really understood the driver for touchscreens on laptops. I've had multiple MS Surface laptops through my work and half the time I forget they even are have touchscreens - I've never found a situation where touching the screen wouldn't have just been a more inconvenient alternative to using the mouse/touchpad/keyboard which was where my hands already were. I know there will be edge cases and some of it is just down to muscle memory, but for the cost of all those grimy fingerprints I'm just not convinced, especially if it means we get a touch-friendly UI in MacOS that looks even more Fisher Price.

I could see it as something convenient for repetitive tasks such as “responding” to a series of checkboxes, radio buttons. With the mouse/trackpad/keyboard you have to slide the cursor in place and click, with the finger only touch. And then, we a generation now that grew up with that physical interaction mode.

 

[svish]

This is more like it. At the price point of Neo or maybe even for a couple of hundred dollars more, don’t think Apple will have a touchscreen. I don’t even think that the Air will get the touchscreen. Might be reserved only for the MacBook Pro.

 

[M4irmidnight]

You don't say? Given that the iPhone 17e still has the iPhone X (2017) notch, are you seriously attempting to tell me the rumor that the next MacBook Neo 2 will not have a touchscreen?

You are simply outrageous. 😂😂😂

It doesn’t though.
It has the smaller notch from the 13 Pro.