Apple is taking pre-orders for new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros that add a touchscreen and OLED display to the laptop line for the first time, with the 14-inch model starting at $2,899 and the 16-inch model starting at $3,399. The systems ship on Nov. 6 and run on Apple's existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, configured with up to 16TB of storage and 128GB of memory.
The launch marks the first redesign of the MacBook Pro since 2021, when the M1 Pro and M1 Max arrived in the notch design that has carried through the line since. The new models move to a Dynamic Island around the webcam, similar to the iPhone, which can display real-time notifications. The light-up Apple logo also returns, appearing on a MacBook Pro for the first time since 2016.
The PROLED XDR display comes in 14.2-inch and 16.3-inch sizes, with ProMotion supporting refresh rates from 10 Hz to 120 Hz. Apple claims 2,000 nits of peak brightness and a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio for deep blacks. The 14-inch MacBook Pro weighs 3 pounds, about half a pound less than the current version, while the 16-inch model weighs 4 pounds, 0.7 pounds lighter than before. Bezels are less noticeable, and Apple says the hinge makes the screen less prone to wobble when touched.
The laptops are only slightly thinner than their predecessors. Apple claims the 16-inch model is nearly a millimeter thinner and the 14-inch model is half a millimeter thinner, savings the company attributes to the OLED display stack.
Apple's own apps work with touch out of the box, and the company says many third-party apps will work right away, including Notion, Canva, Zoom, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve and Blender. Apple also promises speaker improvements, with 50% deeper bass and new tweeters for clearer sound, plus dedicated audio tuning for use with the lid closed.
The touchscreen reverses a long-standing Apple position. Former CEO Steve Jobs, at a 2010 event introducing Mac OS X Lion, described touchscreen laptops as ergonomically terrible and said a user's arm would want to fall off after extended use. The Mac stayed without a touchscreen through former CEO Tim Cook's tenure, though the new laptops were developed under his leadership. Touchscreens have become common on Windows laptops, and Microsoft's Windows 11 was designed to be somewhat more touch-friendly than earlier versions. The Mac launch is one of several recent product introductions for new CEO John Ternus, who also recently introduced the iPhone 18 Pro, the foldable iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, HomeView and a new iPad Mini with an OLED panel.
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