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Apple has downplayed rumors of a touchscreen Mac, but a new macOS Big Sur graphic on the App Store has revived rumors that such a device could arrive.
The App Store graphic, discovered by developer Louie Mantia, features a stylized human hand touching various widgets and user interface elements in macOS Big Sur.
Apple has since removed the animation and hand graphic and replaced them with a static image representing the widget feature in the new macOS update.
However, unsurprisingly, Mantia’s tweet drew some attention and reignited rumors and speculation that Apple is in the process of transitioning from macOS to a touch user experience.
The macOS Big Sur update brings a complete visual overhaul of the Mac operating system that relies heavily on iPadOS and iOS. That has led some people to believe that it is a first step towards the fusion of macOS and iPadOS, or at least a step towards bringing a touch-based user experience to the Mac.
In an interview earlier this week, Apple’s chief software officer, Craig Federighi, brushed off rumors that a touchscreen version of macOS was looming, claiming that touch controls weren’t in mind during the redesign.
On the other hand, Federighi did not flatly deny that a future version of macOS could incorporate touch support. And in fact, Apple patented touch command systems for macOS in early 2020.
