Apple has launched its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, ending years of resistance to the idea. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899 and the 16-inch at $3,399, powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips with a PROLED XDR Display. Pre-orders open October 30 and devices will be available from November 6, in the second marquee launch under new CEO John Turnus after September's iPhone Duo foldable.
Apple has launched its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, ending years of resistance to the idea. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899 and the 16-inch at $3,399, with pre-orders open from October 30 and availability from November 6.
The release comes nearly 10 years after the company first tried integrating touchscreens on its laptops with the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro, a feature it later removed. The new machine more fully embraces the touchscreen, offering a PROLED XDR Display with 2,000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness and a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio in both screen sizes.
Buyers choose between M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with up to 128GB of unified memory and up to 16TB of storage. A new hinge stabilizes the screen while it is being touched, which also helps steady the camera during video calls. The display uses a Dynamic Island-style cutout instead of the notch found on most current MacBooks, and the laptops carry a six-speaker array with a new woofer design.
The 14-inch Pro weighs 3.0 pounds (1.38kg) and the 16-inch 4.0 pounds (1.82kg), lighter than their non-touch predecessors. Both models offer three Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe and a headphone jack, and support three external displays on the M5 Pro and four on the M5 Max.
The launch is the second marquee product introduction under new CEO John Turnus, who unveiled Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, in September. Past Apple executives dismissed the idea of a touchscreen Mac, with Steve Jobs calling it "ergonomically terrible," and rumours of such a variant circulated for nearly three years before today's introduction. The touchscreen MacBook Pro follows a new standard 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip, revealed yesterday starting at $1,999.
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Starting prices of the new MacBook Pro models, according to TechCrunch
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Prices shown are starting prices. Source: TechCrunch
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Analysis
Why This Matters
The launch reverses a long-standing Apple position: past executives, including Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, dismissed the idea of a touchscreen Mac, and its earlier laptop touch feature, the Touch Bar, was later removed.
It is the second marquee product introduction under new CEO John Turnus in two months, after the iPhone Duo foldable in September, and signals the direction he is taking the line-up.
The touchscreen MacBook Pro sits above a separate 14-inch MacBook Pro with the newer M6 chip unveiled the day before at $1,999, splitting the line-up between the latest processor and the new interface.
Background
Apple has long kept full touchscreens off the Mac while making touch central to its iPhone and iPad lines, and the idea was publicly dismissed at the top of the company for years. The closest earlier step was the Touch Bar, a narrow touch strip added to a MacBook Pro nearly 10 years ago and later removed. Rumours that Apple was building a touchscreen Mac circulated for close to three years before this introduction.
Key Perspectives
Steve Jobs: called the idea of a touchscreen Mac "ergonomically terrible."
Tim Cook: is among Apple executives who have in the past dismissed the idea of a touchscreen Mac.
What to Watch
Pre-orders open October 30 and devices are available from November 6; early demand will show whether buyers accept a premium price over the M6 MacBook Pro revealed the day before.
Whether the touchscreen PROLED XDR Display spreads to other Mac models after this first full embrace.
John Turnus has now delivered the iPhone Duo foldable and the touchscreen MacBook Pro in quick succession; his next product moves will clarify his broader strategy.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
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Partly supportedApple launched its first touchscreen MacBook Pro.TechCrunch: “After years of resisting, Apple today launched a MacBook Pro with a touchscreen.”
SupportedThe launch ends years of Apple resisting the idea of a touchscreen Mac.TechCrunch: “After years of resisting, Apple today launched a MacBook Pro with a touchscreen.”
SupportedThe 14-inch model starts at $2,899.TechCrunch: “The Touchscreen MacBook Pro 14-inch starts at $2,899, and the 16-inch version starts at $3,399.”
SupportedThe 16-inch model starts at $3,399.TechCrunch: “The Touchscreen MacBook Pro 14-inch starts at $2,899, and the 16-inch version starts at $3,399.”
SupportedPre-orders open October 30.TechCrunch: “Consumers can place the pre-order for the new touchscreen MacBook Pro from October 30”
SupportedThe devices will be available from November 6.TechCrunch: “the device will be available starting November 6.”
SupportedThe touchscreen MacBook Pro offers M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options and a PROLED XDR Display.TechCrunch: “offering a new PROLED XDR Display in both 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes. The device is powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as options to choose from”
SupportedThis is the second marquee product introduction under CEO John Turnus.TechCrunch: “The new Touchscreen MacBook marks two marquee product launches for new CEO John Turnus, who also introduced the company’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, in September.”
SupportedApple introduced its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, in September.TechCrunch: “who also introduced the company’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, in September.”
SupportedSteve Jobs called the idea of a touchscreen Mac “ergonomically terrible.”TechCrunch: “Jobs famously called the idea “ergonomically terrible” at one point.”
SupportedApple first tried integrating laptop touchscreens nearly 10 years ago with the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro, which it later removed.TechCrunch: “The release comes nearly 10 years after the company first tried integrating touchscreens on its laptops, with its Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro , which it later went on to remove .”
SupportedThe touchscreen MacBook Pro launch follows yesterday’s unveiling of a standard 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip starting at $1,999.TechCrunch: “The launch follows yesterday’s unveiling of a new standard MacBook Pro with the M6 chip in 14-inch size starting from $1,999 .”