If you want a MacBook, plan to use its keyboard and Force Touch trackpad: Apple’s current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro specifications list trackpads, not touch-enabled built-in displays. If touching the screen is essential, compare touchscreen laptops from other manufacturers or consider an iPad for a touch-first Apple device. Check the specifications for the exact model you plan to buy, since product lineups can change.
Are MacBooks touchscreen?
Apple’s current MacBook Air specifications and MacBook Pro specifications describe Force Touch trackpads and do not identify touch-enabled displays. A May 2025 Macworld report likewise said no Mac had a touchscreen at that time. That report is dated, so check Apple’s current specifications before buying rather than treating it as a permanent guarantee.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What you get with a MacBook trackpad
Apple describes the Force Touch trackpad as supporting precise cursor control, pressure sensing, Force Clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing and Multi-Touch gestures. These capabilities let you interact with macOS through pointer movement and gestures without reaching up to tap the display. Apple Support explains trackpad features including three-finger drag in its MacBook support materials.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For desk use, Apple also sells a separate Magic Trackpad (USB-C) with Force Touch and Multi-Touch gestures. It is an external pointing device; it does not add touch input to a MacBook’s screen.
#1 Best Overall
- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
Choose by how you want to interact with apps
Choose a MacBook if you prefer keyboard and pointer input
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are examples of Apple’s current trackpad-equipped laptop lines. A MacBook fits a workflow centered on typing, cursor navigation and trackpad gestures. If you already use a mouse or trackpad comfortably, the absence of a touchscreen may not matter to you.
Choose a touchscreen laptop if direct screen input is essential
If you expect to tap controls, manipulate content directly on the display or use touch as a primary input method, verify that the specific laptop model has a touchscreen. The MacBook specifications cited here do not list touch-enabled displays. Touch may suit your preferred workflow, but the available sources do not establish that it is faster or more comfortable for everyone.
Rank #2
- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
Consider an iPad for Apple’s touch-first approach
Apple frames Mac and iPad as different input categories. In an interview reported by 9to5Mac, Tom Boger, Apple’s vice president of iPad and Mac product marketing at the time, said the iPad “has always been a touch-first device” while the Mac is for “indirect manipulation”—using a keyboard, mouse and/or trackpad. That is Apple’s product framing, not a rule about which device every person should prefer. Read the 9to5Mac interview report for the context.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
Rank #4
- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
Rank #3
- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
A quick decision guide
- Pick a MacBook if keyboard-and-trackpad control suits how you work and you do not require a touch display.
- Pick a touchscreen laptop if direct interaction with the display is a must-have; confirm touch support in that model’s specifications.
- Consider an iPad if you want an Apple device designed around touch input, while recognizing that it is a different product category from a Mac laptop.
- Add a Magic Trackpad if you want a separate trackpad for a desk setup; it remains a pointer, not a touchscreen.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
