Apple has introduced a new MacBook Pro featuring a touchscreen display, the company said in an announcement, marking the first time it has included touch capability on a Mac. The laptop uses a display technology Apple calls PROLED XDR, built on tandem OLED panels, and is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes.
The laptops are powered by either the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip, support up to 128GB of unified memory, and up to 16TB of storage. The new MacBook Pro brings Dynamic Island to the Mac for the first time, serving as the location for Spotlight, Live Activities, and Siri AI.
Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours, and the machines weigh 3 and 4 pounds respectively. The six-speaker audio system has been updated to deliver 50% deeper bass compared to the previous version.
The 14-inch model starts at $2,899 and the 16-inch model starts at $3,199. Pre-orders opened on 28 October, with units available in stores from 6 November.
Peak HDR and SDR brightness reaches 2000 nits, with a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and colour coverage across both P3 and Adobe RGB. Other hardware features include Thunderbolt 5, a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, and studio-quality microphones.
macOS has been redesigned so that touches are automatically translated into clicks, and new gesture APIs allow developers to build touch-specific interactions. Apple also strengthened the laptop hinge to prevent screen movement when users touch the display.
Dynamic Island replaces the notch that has appeared on recent Mac displays. Apple's chief hardware officer Johny Srouji said the PROLED XDR display is the best laptop display in the world, and described the combination of touch capability and M5 Pro and M5 Max performance as creating a new way for professionals to work with their content.
Apple had historically dismissed touchscreen laptops; in 2018, software chief Craig Federighi cited ergonomic fatigue as the reason for not building one. Many other laptop makers including Microsoft, HP, and Dell have offered touchscreen laptops for years before Apple.
Australian professionals and developers who purchase the new MacBook Pro will be able to interact with on-screen content directly using touch, including drawing, playing software instruments, and testing mobile apps without a separate device. The entry price for the new touchscreen MacBook Pro is $2,899 for the 14-inch model, compared to $1,999 for the standard M6 MacBook Pro 14-inch.
Official statements: Apple
Reporting: Yahoo Finance, CNBC
Background: CNBC
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
