The short version
- Apple’s first touchscreen Mac is the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, announced today. It starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch.
- Pre-orders opened today, Oct. 28, and it reaches stores on Friday, Nov. 6.
- The cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6, announced yesterday, is $1,999 and has no touchscreen.
- If you bought a Mac from Apple in the last two weeks, its 14-day return window may still let you swap.
Until today, no Mac had a touchscreen. The new MacBook Pro puts the touch sensor inside an OLED display, so you can swipe to scroll, pinch to zoom a photo, drag slides between presentations, or double-tap a window to make it fill the screen. Apple says macOS turns your taps into clicks, so many apps you already use respond to touch on day one.
Here is what it costs, how it differs from the MacBook Pro Apple announced yesterday, and who should wait.
What Apple announced today
- Display: a 14.2-inch or 16.3-inch OLED screen Apple calls PROLED XDR, with touch built in, up to 2,000 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate.
- Chip: M5 Pro or M5 Max, with up to 128GB of memory and up to 16TB of storage.
- Battery: up to 24 hours, according to Apple’s own testing. It also charges to 50% in about 30 minutes.
- Weight: the 14-inch model weighs 3 pounds, half a pound less than before. The 16-inch weighs 4 pounds, 0.7 pounds less.
- Other changes: a new hinge that keeps the screen steady when you tap it, and a Dynamic Island at the top of the screen for calls, music and Siri.
- Ports: three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SD card slot, MagSafe charging and a headphone jack.
- Pre-orders and delivery: pre-orders opened today in 30 countries and regions, including the US. It reaches stores Nov. 6.
What it costs, next to the other new Macs
| Model | Starts at | Touchscreen | Arrives |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR, 14-inch (M5 Pro) | $2,899 | Yes | Nov. 6 |
| MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR, 16-inch (M5 Pro) | $3,399 | Yes | Nov. 6 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 | $1,999 | No | Nov. 6 |
| 24-inch iMac with M6 | $1,499 | No | Nov. 6 |
| iPad mini with OLED | $699 | Yes (it’s an iPad) | Nov. 6 |
The cheapest touchscreen MacBook Pro costs $900 more than the M6 MacBook Pro. That $900 buys the touch OLED screen, a lighter body and a higher-end M5 Pro chip, so it is not the price of touch alone.
Who should buy it, and who should wait
Buy it if you edit photos or video, draw, or make music, and you already reach for an iPad to do it. Apple’s own Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro get touch controls, so one machine can replace two.
Wait if you mostly type, browse and join video calls. Apple says touch versions of apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, Zoom and Canva arrive “later this year,” not today. First-generation hardware also tends to get its rough edges fixed in year two.
Get the M6 MacBook Pro instead if you want a new Pro laptop and do not care about touch. You save $900 and get it the same day, Nov. 6.
Bought a Mac recently? Check your return window
Apple gives you 14 calendar days from delivery to return a Mac bought from Apple. If yours arrived on Oct. 15 or later, you may still be inside that window. Other stores set their own rules, so check your receipt.
What we still don’t know
- The exact dates touch support reaches Word, Excel, Zoom and the other apps Apple named. Apple only says “later this year.”
- Whether the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro with the regular display stay on sale, and at what price. Today’s announcement does not say.
