Apple Introduces First Touchscreen MacBook Pro After 16 Years
Apple has officially launched its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, allowing users to interact directly with the display, a significant shift after 16 years.
CUPERTINO, Oct 30: Apple has revealed its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, breaking a 16-year tradition against this technology. The introduction came during an event on October 28, 2026, in Cupertino, California, where the company announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch models.
The new MacBook Pro allows users to interact with the screen directly, a gesture familiar to iPhone users but previously resisted by Apple. Steve Jobs had famously criticized touchscreen laptops as ‘ergonomically terrible,’ prompting Apple to focus on multi-touch trackpads instead. This shift has been a long time coming. Apple executives, including current CEO John Ternus, had maintained that the existing trackpad offered a superior experience.
John Ternus emphasized the excitement over the new MacBook’s design, stating, “Look, we love the Mac, and it’s the reason why so many of us found our way to Apple in the first place.” The new touchscreen feature allows for increased versatility, enabling tasks like pinching to zoom in and swiping to move windows. The updated models also feature Apple’s PROLED XDR display, which improves contrast and brightness, catering to content creators and designers.
The touchscreen addition does not change the MacBook Pro’s function as a traditional laptop without a convertible mode or Apple Pencil support. Many existing macOS applications will continue to respond to touch by translating taps into clicks, although some may need updates to maximize the touchscreen capabilities.
The unveiling also marked the return of the iconic illuminated Apple logo on the back of the screens, a feature that had been absent since 2016.
Pricing for the new MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model with the M5 Pro chip. The 16-inch version, equipped with the more powerful M5 Max chip, begins at $4,799. Higher configurations can push prices significantly higher, with the fully loaded 16-inch model costing around $14,549. Pre-orders began on October 30, with sales scheduled to start on November 6.
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Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.