Apple’s Touch MacBook Pros Start at $2,899 and Ship Nov. 6

By Nathan Brooks

Apple’s new 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,899, while the 16-inch model starts at $3,399; both accept preorders now and will ship on Nov. 6.

At a Los Angeles event, Apple introduced the first MacBook Pros with touchscreen OLED XDR displays controlled by fingers. The 14-inch and 16-inch models run a version of macOS 27 Golden Gate modified for touch, while retaining the standard keyboard and touchpad controls.

Apple specified that the systems use its existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. It did not map either processor family to a particular display size in the launch information.

What changes beyond the display?

Apple has redesigned the MacBook Pro for the first time since 2021, when the M1 Pro and M1 Max arrived in a design that became familiar for its notch. The new computers replace that familiar outline and add a Dynamic Island around the webcam, an iPhone-style interface for real-time notifications.

At 3 pounds, the 14-inch model is about half a pound lighter than the existing version. The 16-inch model weighs 4 pounds, 0.7 pounds less than before. Apple’s bezels are also less noticeable.

The hinge was another point of emphasis: Apple says the screen is less prone to wobble when touched. It was the second such emphasis that month, following the iPhone Duo.

Why did Apple wait on touch?

Former CEO Steve Jobs called touchscreen laptops “ergonomically terrible” when introducing Mac OS X Lion in 2010. His verdict on extended use: “after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off.”

The Mac resisted touch throughout former CEO Tim Cook’s tenure, although the new laptops were developed under his leadership. Apple’s long opposition has now ended, with fingers admitted to the premium MacBook Pro.

Over the last decade, touchscreens became common on Windows laptops, and Microsoft designed Windows 11 to be slightly more touch-friendly than its predecessors. HomeView, Apple’s smart home manager, already uses a vertical touchscreen, although the announcement offered no defense of that arrangement. The iPad has likewise stood vertically on Apple keyboards, some of which include touchpads.

What is confirmed for suppliers?

Under new CEO John Ternus, the MacBook launch forms part of a dense run of recent product introductions. Ternus also recently introduced:

• iPhone 18 Pro
• Foldable iPhone Duo
• Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
• HomeView
• New iPad Mini, also with an OLED panel

Commercially, the most consequential disclosed choice is Apple’s reuse of the M5 Pro and M5 Max. No new processor generation accompanies the touch interface; the product changes concern display integration, the enclosure, the hinge and the macOS interface.

For semiconductor and display suppliers, the announcement provides no process node, wafer-size figure, panel supplier, production capacity or revenue target. It also offers no future capacity or pricing roadmap, leaving no basis for forecasting volume or component demand.

At $2,899 and $3,399, Apple is asking buyers to absorb the premium for touch, OLED and a lighter enclosure. The 16-inch model carries a $500 premium over the smaller machine, while the processor line remains firmly within the established M5 generation.

The Nov. 6 shipments will provide the first commercial test of whether buyers will accept those prices for touch-controlled OLED laptops on established M5 silicon. Apple disclosed no capacity plan against which to judge the launch.