Apple's first touchscreen MacBook comes at a price
Key Points:
- Apple has introduced its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, featuring a new PROLED XDR OLED display, a thinner and lighter design, and powerful M5 Pro or M5 Max processors, starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch model.
- The touchscreen allows direct interaction with the screen, including gestures like scrolling and pinch-to-zoom, but the laptop remains a traditional clamshell design without Apple Pencil support or tablet mode.
- The OLED display offers significant improvements in brightness (up to 2,000 nits), contrast (10,000,000:1), color accuracy, and refresh rates (up to 120Hz), which may appeal especially to creative professionals working with photos and videos.
- Despite the new features, the high starting price and the availability of a less expensive M6 MacBook Pro without touch ($1,999) make the upgrade decision dependent on individual needs, with experts recommending hands-on testing before purchase.
- Apple expects many existing Mac apps to support touch immediately, with optimized creative apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro enhancing the experience, but smaller UI elements may still pose usability challenges for finger input.