Apple Introduces Touchscreen MacBook Pro with OLED Display

On October 28, 2026, Apple revealed its first-ever MacBook Pro equipped with a touchscreen, a notable departure from the company's longstanding design approach. The new model, named MacBook Pro with ProLED XDR Display, incorporates an OLED screen technology that delivers enhanced brightness, richer colors, and improved viewing angles compared to previous models.

Powered by Apple's M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, this MacBook Pro is lighter than the current professional laptops in Apple's lineup. Despite the addition of a touchscreen, the device operates on MacOS, maintaining a distinct experience from Apple's iPhone and iPad systems. Apple demonstrated the touchscreen's capabilities through a video showing users manipulating videos and images with direct finger gestures.

The MacBook Pro also features a glowing Apple logo on its lid, adding a visual element that distinguishes it further. This new laptop will be available for purchase starting November 6, with the 14-inch model priced at $2,899 and the 16-inch version beginning at $3,399. These prices represent a significant increase compared to earlier MacBook Pro models.

This launch is the third major product announcement since John Ternus became Apple's CEO, signaling a quicker pace in hardware releases. Ternus addressed the audience in Los Angeles, stating, "Yes, for the very first time, we are bringing touch to the Mac," highlighting the company's shift after years of avoiding touchscreens on its laptops.

The introduction of a touchscreen MacBook Pro comes amid a challenging period for the global laptop market, which is experiencing one of its most severe downturns. Shipment volumes are projected to decline by 11% in 2026. Experts attribute this slump partly to an AI-driven worldwide shortage of memory components, resulting in elevated prices that have dampened consumer demand. Market research firm IDC reported a 20% year-over-year drop in total PC shipments during the third quarter, with Apple’s shipments declining by approximately 11% in the same period.

Apple's own product pricing has been affected by rising memory costs. Former CEO Tim Cook warned earlier this year that the surge in memory prices was "unsustainable." Consequently, most Mac models have seen price increases; for instance, the Mac Mini experienced a $300 price hike in August.

This announcement concludes an active two months of product introductions under Ternus's leadership. Alongside the new touchscreen MacBook Pro, Apple launched updated iMac and MacBook Pro models featuring the M6 chip, following price increases earlier in the year. Additionally, the company released a new iPad Mini priced at $699, which is $100 more than its previous generation, and unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone. Apple also introduced HomeView, a smart speaker with a display that utilizes an enhanced version of Siri capable of answering a wider array of questions.

The Mac remains a strategically important product line for Apple, even though it contributes less revenue than the iPhone. In the latest quarter, Mac sales accounted for $10.35 billion, representing just under 10% of Apple’s total revenue. The Mac platform continues to be favored by many software developers and is the exclusive system supported for developing iPhone applications.

Apple has also emphasized the performance advantages of its proprietary chips and memory design for running AI workloads locally on devices, rather than relying on cloud computing. For example, Meta’s AI development team purchased hundreds of Mac Minis to test AI agents. Earlier this month, Apple partnered with Meta to demonstrate that large-scale AI models could operate on clusters of Macs connected by high-speed cables, enabling developers to execute complex AI code without paying third-party providers like Anthropic or OpenAI.

Historically, Apple resisted adding touchscreens to its laptops. In 2018, software chief Craig Federighi explained that the ergonomics of touchscreens on laptops could cause user fatigue. In 2021, John Ternus, then senior vice president of hardware engineering, said in an interview that Apple had not found a reason to combine the Mac’s indirect input system with touch input, given that the iPad was their optimized touch device.

Ternus, with a background in leading the Mac transition to Apple’s own silicon chips alongside Johny Srouji, now as CEO is overseeing this shift in design philosophy. Industry analysts, including Ryan Reith, IDC’s vice president for worldwide device tracking, note that touchscreen laptops have been available on Windows machines for years but remain a secondary feature rather than a primary selling point. IDC data shows that only 17% of notebooks shipped globally in 2026 feature touchscreens, and such devices often have a slightly lower average selling price than non-touch models.

According to Reith, the main challenge for Apple was not hardware but software and user interface design. The company likely waited to introduce a touchscreen MacBook until it could ensure a smooth user experience and refine its software, possibly after efforts to make the iPad more laptop-like. The new touchscreen MacBook Pro represents another step in attracting developers by expanding the Mac’s capabilities.