MacBook Touchscreen Launches With M5 Pro, Skipping M6 Entirely

Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook will run on M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, skipping the M6 generation entirely, according to a Bloomberg report. For a device already carrying the weight of being the first touch-enabled Mac laptop, that chip choice will raise eyebrows among spec-focused buyers.

The decision has a certain logic to it. Introducing a new display paradigm alongside new silicon would compound the engineering complexity and cost. By anchoring the touchscreen MacBook to the M5 architecture, Apple keeps the manufacturing focus on the display and input experience rather than juggling two major hardware debuts at once. Anyone tracking MacBook Pro M6 and its 2-nanometer process will know that chip is already spoken for in a different product line.

The same Bloomberg report extends the timeline further out. M7 Pro and M7 Max variants of the touchscreen MacBook are reportedly planned for 2027, which means buyers who want both the touch display and the latest silicon will be waiting at least another product cycle. That gap is long enough to matter for anyone making a purchase decision today.

What this means for pricing

The M5 Pro and Max are not slow chips by any measure, but they do put the touchscreen MacBook in an interesting position on the pricing ladder. Refurbished MacBook Pro configurations with M4 Pro have already been climbing in price, which suggests the new touch model could land at a premium despite using a chip generation Apple has been shipping for some time.

For most users handling creative work or everyday tasks, M5 Pro performance leaves little to complain about. The real question is whether the touch display justifies the price Apple will attach to it, not whether the chip inside is current enough.