Apple has introduced its first MacBook Pro with a touchscreen, pairing a tandem OLED display with its M5 Pro and M5 Max processors. Announced on 28 October, the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch laptops add touch input while retaining the keyboard and trackpad for professional workflows.
Display and touch features
Apple calls the panel PROLED XDR. The company says it uses tandem OLED technology, offers a 120Hz variable refresh rate and reaches up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. Apple also claims a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and support for both P3 and Adobe RGB colour spaces.
Touch gestures include scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, dragging content, and moving or resizing windows. Apple says the touch sensor is integrated into the display panel to reduce latency. The new design also brings Dynamic Island to Mac, replacing the previous camera notch, and a redesigned hinge intended to provide greater stability while users touch the screen. It is still a conventional laptop rather than a convertible tablet.
M5 Pro and M5 Max, with up to 16TB storage
The touchscreen models use Apple’s M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. Configurations offer up to 128GB of unified memory and up to 16TB of storage on M5 Max models. Other headline features include a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, a six-speaker sound system and a claimed battery life of up to 24 hours, depending on configuration.
Apple says the 14-inch model weighs about 3 pounds and the 16-inch model about 4 pounds. The company has emphasised display and interaction changes rather than claiming a new processor generation for these touchscreen configurations.
Price and availability
In the United States, the 14-inch model starts at $2,899 and the 16-inch model at $3,399 with M5 Pro. M5 Max configurations start at $4,499 for the 14-inch model and $4,799 for the 16-inch model. Pre-orders opened on 28 October, with US availability scheduled for 6 November.
In India, published launch coverage lists starting prices of ₹3,49,900 for the 14-inch model and ₹4,09,900 for the 16-inch model, with availability listed for 9 November. Buyers should confirm the final configuration, local availability and price on Apple’s India store before ordering, as pricing differs by market and specification.
Why this launch matters
Apple has long kept touch input off the MacBook display, relying instead on the trackpad and keyboard. The move brings MacBook Pro closer to the touch-first interaction common on phones and tablets, while targeting video editors, designers, musicians, developers and other professionals who may benefit from direct manipulation of on-screen content.
The premium pricing remains a major consideration. The touchscreen is an additional way to work, not a replacement for the keyboard or trackpad, and its value will depend on how well professional applications adapt their interfaces for touch. Independent testing will be needed to assess real-world battery life, performance and long-term display durability.
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