Apple ships first touch-enabled MacBook Pro starting at $2,899

Apple has released its first MacBook Pro with a touchscreen, reversing a decade of design choices that excluded the feature. The company unveiled the new hardware on Wednesday during its Pro and tell event. Preorders opened immediately, with units arriving in customer hands on November 6. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899, while the 16-inch version begins at $3,399.

The new machines display what Apple calls PROLED XDR. This tandem OLED panel offers peak SDR brightness of 2,000 nits and a 120Hz refresh rate. Apple cites a contrast ratio of 10,000,000 to 1. The laptops run on M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. They do not use the M6 chip found in other MacBook Pros announced this week.

A Dynamic Island now appears on the laptop screen. It displays Live Activities, mirroring the functionality on iPhones. The glowing Apple logo on the lid has also returned after being absent in recent models. Apple states the touch sensor is built directly into the display panel rather than layered on top. The company claims this design lowers latency.

Apple suggests the touch capability allows users to test iOS and iPadOS apps directly on the laptop. It also supports playing software instruments on the screen. Apple’s own applications are optimized for touch input. An updated application programming interface will allow outside developers to add touch support to their software.

The physical design has shifted. The 14-inch model weighs 3 pounds, and the 16-inch model weighs 4 pounds. The 16-inch version is nearly a millimeter thinner than its predecessor, while the 14-inch model is half a millimeter thinner. Slimmer bezels increased the screen size to 14.2 inches on the smaller model and 16.3 inches on the larger one.

Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours. The port selection includes MagSafe 3, a headphone jack, an SD card reader, HDMI, and three Thunderbolt 5 connections. The laptop can drive three external displays simultaneously, or four with the M5 Max configuration. A six-speaker sound system offers 50 percent deeper bass. A newly designed hinge provides added stability.

This launch follows a busy week of announcements that included an iPad Mini with an OLED display and iMacs powered by the M6 chip. The move marks a shift from previous statements by Apple leadership. In 2012, Tim Cook dismissed the convergence of tablets and laptops. In 2010, Steve Jobs described touchscreen laptops as ergonomically terrible. Apple had previously experimented with the Touch Bar on MacBook Pros between 2016 and 2023.