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Apple has unveiled its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, ending more than 15 years in which the company insisted that touchscreens did not belong on laptops. The new machine was announced on 28 October at an event called Pro and Tell, and it goes on sale on 6 November.
The laptop has a tandem OLED display that Apple calls PROLED XDR, available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The screen supports touch input, reaches up to 2,000 nits of brightness and runs at 120Hz, with a Dynamic Island at the top for Spotlight, Live Activities and Siri AI. Apple has also brought back a glowing Apple logo on the lid, a detail last seen on older MacBooks.
Inside, the machine runs on M5 Pro or M5 Max chips and supports up to 128GB of memory and 16TB of storage. Apple claims up to 24 hours of battery life, and the laptops are thinner and lighter than the models they replace. The 14-inch version starts at 2,899 dollars and the 16-inch at 3,399 dollars, with pre-orders opening on 28 October. A fully configured version can cost as much as 14,549 dollars. The 14-inch model starts at 2,899 dollars and the 16-inch at 3,399 dollars, with sales beginning on 6 November and a fully configured machine costing up to 14,549 dollars.
The touchscreen is the headline, but Apple has stressed that touch is optional. The trackpad and keyboard remain the main ways to work, and touch is meant for quick taps, scrolling and marking up documents. That framing is a careful one, given that Apple spent years arguing that touch on a laptop was a poor idea, comparing it to merging a fridge and a toaster.
The launch also ties the new hardware to Apple's AI plans, with on-device large models and a new AI assistant for its office apps. Whether buyers want to pay a premium for touch on a Mac will be answered when the laptops reach shops in November.
Source: Apple Newsroom
