Key takeaways
- Apple introduced the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display on October 28, its first touchscreen Mac, from $2,899 for the 14-inch and $3,399 for the 16-inch. It arrives November 6.
- Inside are the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the same battery life and the same ports as the non-touch models, which stay on sale for $400 less. The display does not fold back, and Apple did not mention Apple Pencil.
- My view: OLED and the lighter body are great, but a new chip would have been worth more than touch. I would rather buy the cheaper M6 model than pay $400 for a touchscreen on a work machine.
Apple introduced the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display on October 28, its first Mac with a touchscreen. It comes in 14.2-inch and 16.3-inch sizes with a tandem OLED panel of up to 2,000 nits, a Dynamic Island instead of the notch, and the glowing Apple logo back on the lid. Inside are the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips Apple put in the MacBook Pro earlier this year, with the same battery life of up to 24 hours and the same ports. The 14-inch model is about half a pound lighter, and the display does not fold back into a tablet.
Prices start at $2,899 for the 14-inch and $3,399 for the 16-inch, $400 more than the non-touch M5 Pro models, which stay on sale. A fully loaded model costs about $14,549. Pre-orders opened today, and the first units arrive November 6. Apple’s hardware chief Johny Srouji called it “a monumental step forward for the Mac”.
| 14-inch MacBook Pro | Price | Chip | Display | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro M6 | $1,999 | M6 (newest generation) | Mini-LED | No |
| MacBook Pro M5 Pro | $2,499 | M5 Pro | Mini-LED | No |
| MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR | $2,899 | M5 Pro (same chip) | Tandem OLED | Yes |
In this article: “A monumental step forward”? With an older chip? · Steve Jobs knew what he was talking about · $400 for a touch · Credit where it’s due · Not a word about Apple Pencil · Expensive? For a work machine, that is fine · What you forgot to say, Apple · FAQ
“A monumental step forward”? With an older chip?
Mr. Srouji, are you kidding? An older chip, and you call it a step forward? I can’t believe it. I would much rather have a new chip than a touchscreen.
A day earlier, Apple put the brand new M6 into the cheapest MacBook Pro for $1,999. And into the most expensive MacBook Pro it put the M5, the same as in the models from the beginning of the year. To be fair, the M5 Pro is still a stronger chip than the base M6. But a new generation in the cheaper model, and the older one in the most expensive? What kind of marketing is that? Bloomberg reports that Apple skipped the M6 Pro and M6 Max. Who knows if in a few months this expensive machine will not be a generation behind again.
Steve Jobs knew what he was talking about
In 2010, Steve Jobs called touchscreen laptops ergonomically terrible: touch on a vertical screen looks great in a demo, but after a while your arm gets tired. He knew. I don’t believe anyone will zoom by touching the display, when the trackpad or the mouse does it perfectly and you don’t have to lift your hand like a gorilla over a big screen. Someone who works will not even think about zooming in some program on the display, when the trackpad is right under their fingers. How is that even possible?
And Apple’s other big innovation: a new hinge, so the screen holds still while you zoom. Wow. Don’t forget that people did not even like the Touch Bar, which sat right next to their fingers. They were used to the keyboard, because that is normal. This is a work computer that makes money, not a showpiece for stylish people. Or is Apple changing direction?
$400 for a touch
So in the end, you pay only for the touch display. Same chip, same performance, same battery as the models from the start of the year, and $400 more. Yes, OLED is great, I don’t deny it. But Apple’s displays have been good for years. The difference shows up only for someone who edits photos. Someone who uses the machine for other work will not even feel it.
And tell me, who edits photos with their arm up in the air? This Mac does not fold back, so you can’t have it in front of you like a huge iPad. If it did, I would understand. Not like this.
Apple also did not tell us to buy ten of its polishing cloths right away. I am sure they will raise the price of those too, because from now on we will need a lot more of them. I would rather buy the M6. It is cheaper, and the M6 is not a weak chip either. So why would I pay $400 more for the same performance as a computer from last spring? No, thank you.
Credit where it’s due
What is really nice is the weight. The 14-inch is about a quarter of a kilo lighter, the 16-inch about a third of a kilo. Until now, when I carried it in my backpack, after a few hours I really felt it. I am glad for that.
And it is good that touch is a choice, because the non-touch models stay. But then why all the hype? Probably the best laptop display on the market today? Fine, we know.
The Dynamic Island instead of the notch does not matter at all. It is not even worth talking about. Maybe it is just so people in a café can tell which model you have.
Not a word about Apple Pencil
They could at least tell us that one of their pencils works on this new display. Nothing.
Apple says Office, Adobe apps and Blender work with touch right away. I am very curious how many tests they ran, actually working in these programs by touch.
And of course, they did not forget Siri. Spotlight in the Dynamic Island works only with Siri AI. But that silly Siri does not work in the EU and speaks only six languages. Apple’s own fine print adds that it is still in beta and has daily usage limits. Bravo.
Expensive? For a work machine, that is fine
What fascinates me are the people on social media today writing that MacBooks are terribly expensive. This is a computer that makes money. Don’t buy it for fun, for travel or for watching movies; there are cheaper versions for that. I think people who really work on it don’t mind that it got more expensive. Here, the price is understandable.
Better fix your iPhone Duo. That is the real price madness, where a person can’t even explain what he paid for.
What is worse: Apple’s memory supplier expects memory prices to keep rising until at least 2030. That is bad luck for us. Apple will get even richer, and every year it will have something to blame for raising prices.
What you forgot to say, Apple
You shout that you have the best display in the world. You forgot to say what an ordinary user needs that display for, at this price, with the same performance, the same chip and the same battery as the MacBook Pro you released before.
I want some good news from Apple, something that makes me say wow. And again, only some horror. According to Bloomberg, Ternus pushed this project because Apple had fallen behind and people expect touch on laptops. Apple has fallen behind, that is true. But in my opinion, Ternus is out of touch if he thinks the most expensive MacBooks need a touchscreen. He could have left touch for iPads and iPhones, where it belongs and is easy to use. Not on a work machine, where, for me, it is just garbage.
And then people ask why I am such a hater. The way I see it, what this company does lately is simply madness.
Also on Evolt News: Touchscreen MacBook Pro: what we expected · MacBook Pro M6 for $1,999
Photo: Apple.
This article is opinion.
Touchscreen MacBook Pro: FAQ
How much does the touchscreen MacBook Pro cost?
The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 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.
When is the touchscreen MacBook Pro released?
Pre-orders opened October 28, 2026, and the first units arrive November 6.
Which chip is in the touchscreen MacBook Pro?
The M5 Pro or M5 Max, the same chips as in the non-touch MacBook Pro models. The cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 has a newer chip generation but no touchscreen.
Does the touchscreen MacBook Pro support Apple Pencil?
Apple did not mention Apple Pencil support in its announcement. The display also does not fold back into a tablet.
Is the touchscreen MacBook Pro worth $400 more?
It has the same chip, performance, battery life and ports as the non-touch M5 Pro model. The extra $400 buys the OLED touchscreen, a lighter body, the Dynamic Island and the glowing logo.
Sources: Apple, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, BGR, Bloomberg, Tom’s Hardware, TechRadar.
Our Take
The OLED display and the lighter body are real upgrades, and it is good that touch is optional. But the most expensive MacBook Pro has the older M5 chip, the same battery and the same ports, and Apple asks $400 more for a touchscreen that, the way I see it, nobody needs on a work machine.
If you need a MacBook Pro for work, the M6 model at $1,999 or the non-touch M5 Pro is the smarter buy. A new chip would have been a real step forward. Touch is not.
