Emerging Technologies

Apple puts touch on the Mac for the first time. The PROLED XDR MacBook Pro starts at $2,899

2 min read

Apple press image of two hands playing an on-screen piano keyboard in a music app directly on the touchscreen display of the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display.

Apple has announced a MacBook Pro with a tandem OLED touchscreen, reversing years of resistance to touch on the Mac. It runs M5 Pro or M5 Max, not M6, and sits well above this week's M6 model on price.

In brief

Developing. Last updated 28 October 2026, 22:15 Dubai time (UTC+4).

On 28 October 2026 Apple announced the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, which it says brings "Touch for the first time" to the Mac. Pre-orders opened the same day in 30 countries and regions, and Apple says the 14- and 16-inch models arrive from Friday 6 November.

What Apple announced

  • Display. Apple says the tandem OLED panel reaches up to 2000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness, a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The touch sensor is built into the panel rather than layered on top.
  • Chips. M5 Pro or M5 Max, which Apple calls its "most powerful chips ever built for a pro laptop", with up to 128GB of memory and 16TB of storage.
  • Battery and weight. Up to 24 hours of battery life, from Apple's own testing, at 3 pounds (14-inch) and 4 pounds (16-inch).
  • Software. macOS translates touches into clicks so many existing apps work straight away, according to Apple, and new gesture APIs let developers build for touch.
  • US prices. M5 Pro from $2,899 (14-inch) and $3,399 (16-inch); M5 Max from $4,499 (14-inch) and $4,799 (16-inch).

A reversal, and how it differs from the M6 model

Apple has long rejected touchscreen laptops. The Verge recalls Steve Jobs calling them "ergonomically terrible" in 2010, and CNBC notes John Ternus, now CEO, said in 2021 the Mac was "optimized for indirect input". CNBC reports Ternus told the launch audience Apple is "bringing touch to the Mac".

This is a separate machine from the 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro announced on 27 October. That model starts at $1,999 with an M6 chip and Thunderbolt 4. The PROLED XDR model uses M5 Pro or M5 Max, three Thunderbolt 5 ports and costs at least $900 more.

What IT buyers should weigh

Touch alone rarely sells laptops: CNBC cites IDC data that only 17% of notebooks shipped this year have touchscreens. The value depends on app support; Apple says some listed third-party apps arrive "later this year". For most fleets, the M6 model stays the default, with the PROLED XDR reserved for colour-critical and creative roles.

Sources and scope

Specifications, prices and dates are from Apple's press release (28 October 2026); Apple's tech specs page did not yet list this model when checked. History and quotes are from The Verge and CNBC. ByteNib has not tested the device. Buyer guidance is ByteNib editorial analysis.

Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the editor before publication.

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