Apple launches touchscreen MacBook Pro with prices up to $14,549

Apple has launched its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, marking a significant shift nearly a decade after its initial Touch Bar experiment, according to TechCrunch. The new models come in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, starting at $2,899 and $3,399 respectively.

The touchscreen MacBook Pro features Apple's new PROLED XDR Display with 2,000 nits peak brightness and a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It is powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with options up to 128GB of unified memory and 16TB of storage, as reported by TechCrunch.

Apple's configurator prices the fully upgraded 16-inch model at $14,549, which is $4,400 more than the previous top-spec MacBook Pro, according to TechCrunch and The Verge. The cost increase is largely due to the new 16TB storage option priced at $7,000 and upgrades like 128GB memory and nano-texture glass.

The new MacBook Pro also includes hardware enhancements such as a hinge designed to stabilize the screen during touch use and video calls, a Dynamic Island-style cutout replacing the notch, a six-speaker array with a new woofer design, and multiple ports including Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC card slot, MagSafe, and headphone jack, TechCrunch detailed.

Preorders for the touchscreen MacBook Pro open on October 30, with availability beginning November 6, as noted by TechCrunch. This launch is among the first major product introductions under Apple's new CEO John Ternus.

Apple's move into touchscreen laptops comes after years of resistance, with previous statements from company leadership describing touchscreen laptops as "ergonomically terrible," according to The Verge. This new product marks a notable change in Apple's laptop design philosophy.