Remember when Apple told us nobody wants to reach over a keyboard and smudge a laptop screen? Yeah, about that.
The touchscreen MacBook Pro is real. Apple announced it on 28 October, and honestly, my first reaction wasn't excitement. It was "of course it took them this long, and of course it costs this much."
But after going through the specs, I've come around a little. This thing is a lot more interesting than "a MacBook you can poke."
So Apple finally made a touchscreen MacBook Pro
The official name is the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, which is a mouthful. Engadget said it "could really use a more distinctive name," and I couldn't agree more.
It was unveiled at an event Apple called "Pro and tell," per The Verge. You can pre-order the 14-inch and 16-inch models now in 30 countries and regions, and they start arriving on Friday, 6 November, according to Apple's announcement.
The touch isn't a layer slapped on top, either. Apple says it's built right into the display panel, which should cut down on lag. You also get a Dynamic Island around the webcam, just like on the iPhone. And yes, the glowing Apple logo on the lid is back. Nostalgia sells.
That screen, though
OLED done the expensive way
This is the part I'm genuinely jealous of. It's a tandem OLED panel that hits up to 2,000 nits peak brightness with a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and up to 120Hz.
Digging into Apple's spec sheet, the 14-inch has a 14.2-inch panel at 3024 x 1986. It covers both P3 and Adobe RGB, and it can dim all the way down to 1 nit. That's great news for anyone editing photos at 2am.
There's an anti-reflective, fingerprint-resistant coating, plus an optional nano-texture glass. Given that people will now be jabbing at this thing all day, that coating isn't a nice-to-have. It's survival.
It's lighter, too
Apple says the 14-inch weighs about three pounds and the 16-inch about four. Engadget points out that the current 14-inch is 3.4 pounds and the 16-inch is between 4.7 and 4.8, so that's a real drop. Slimmer bezels also squeeze in 14.2-inch and 16.3-inch screens.
Under the hood (and one weird choice)
Here's the odd bit. The Verge notes this model uses M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, not the M6 Apple put in its other MacBook Pros the same week. So the priciest MacBook doesn't get the newest chip. Go figure.
Not that M5 Max is slow. The top configuration has an 18-core CPU, a 40-core GPU and up to 128GB of memory. Storage goes up to 16TB, which is more than I'll fill in this lifetime.
Apple claims up to 24 hours of battery. The 14-inch spec sheet says 22 hours of video streaming on M5 Pro, or 20 on M5 Max. And the ports are refreshingly generous:
- Three Thunderbolt 5 ports
- HDMI and an SDXC card slot
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- MagSafe 3
Okay, let's talk about the price
Deep breath. The 14-inch with M5 Pro starts at $2,899. The 16-inch starts at $3,399. Want M5 Max? That's $4,499 for the 14-inch and $4,799 for the 16-inch.
Engadget says that's the highest launch price it has ever seen for a MacBook Pro. TechCrunch said it "pushes laptop pricing to a new extreme." I'd say that's putting it politely.
If you're reading this from Bangladesh like me, local pricing wasn't in anything I looked at. Check your regional Apple Store or an authorised reseller before you start mentally emptying your bank account.
Why I think this is a bigger deal than it looks
Apple spent years insisting that touch didn't belong on a Mac. Putting it on the flagship pro laptop is basically Apple admitting the Windows crowd had a point. That alone is kind of wild.
The bigger story might be developers. The Verge reports Apple has put up a developer page about getting ready for touch on Mac. Once apps start being designed for fingers, Mac software could feel a lot closer to the iPad. Apple's own examples include spinning 3D models and playing instruments right on the screen.
My guess is OLED and touch eventually trickle down to cheaper Macs. To be clear, that's my guess, not anything Apple has announced. For now, it's a luxury feature with a luxury price tag.
Should you buy it?
For most people, no. Not yet.
If you're a photographer, video editor or anyone doing colour-critical work, that OLED panel and the weight savings are real upgrades, and I'd understand the splurge. Everyone else is paying a huge premium for a screen they might touch twice a day.
If you mostly write, browse, manage Telegram channels or run SMM tools, a MacBook Air will make you just as happy for far less money. Whatever you do, wait for real reviews after 6 November. Specs are one thing. Living with fingerprints on a $2,899 screen is another.
FAQ
When does the touchscreen MacBook Pro come out?
Pre-orders opened on 28 October 2026. It starts shipping and hits stores on 6 November.
How much is it?
In the US, it starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch and $3,399 for the 16-inch. M5 Max models start at $4,499 and $4,799.
Which chip does it use?
M5 Pro or M5 Max. It doesn't get the M6.
Does it still have a keyboard and trackpad?
Yep. Touch is an extra, not a replacement. It's still a regular clamshell laptop.
So, over to you: would you actually use a touchscreen on a Mac, or is this a solution looking for a problem? Tell me in the comments.
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