The 2016 versions of the MacBook Pro and Air are already tempting with persistent rumors that Intel Skylake will be the OS X's notebook new platform. But a new report indicates that a Mac with touchscreen features is "inevitable."
Forbes reported that research firm IDC is convinced that Apple will soon release a notebook that like its PC counterpart will include touch inputs though the feature may not be seen in time for the new batch of MacBook Pro and Air models scheduled for release this year.
"I think a touch Mac is inevitable. There's nothing from the supply chain or from Apple that supports that right now," the Forbes report quoted IDC analyst Ryan Reith as saying. Reith predicted that Macs with touchscreen display could begin coming out within the next two years, which rules out the possibility of the same feature to be packed with the 2016 builds.
If Apple, however, will manage to pull off a surprise and issue a MacBook Touch this year, the same Forbes report nominated the 12-inch MacBook as the strongest candidate to carry the feature. The size is the closest thing to portability and if the object is to make the rumored MacBook Touch a hybrid device then the 12-inch screen profile suits well for tablet use when undocked from its keyboard, the report added.
But Reith told Forbes that Apple will likely take its sweet time before making its entry into the hybrid device segment, saying that the tech giant will "take their time and when they do it, they'll ... do it the right way."
And Apple appears to be just doing the right thing when it comes to its MacBook affairs as the business, according to MacRumors, managed to register gains of more than 10 percent in the global market share despite the perceived weak consumers demand as of 2015. By the end of last year, MacBook sales occupy slot number four and behind only HP, Lenovo and Dell.
The projection for 2016 is that Apple will likely maintain the same slice of the market though sales could significantly jump with the MacBook Pro and Air set run on Intel Skylake, which promises more computing power and longer battery life. Apple is also rumored to intro a 15-inch MacBook Air as the 11-inch version is reportedly set for retirement.
And while the March 15 Apple press briefing is reportedly reserved for unveiling both the iPad Air 3 and iPhone 5SE, MacRumors is not ruling out the possibility of the tech giant revealing one or two MacBook models in preparation for their rumored June 2016 release date.