Apple launches touchscreen MacBook Pro as Mac strategy expands

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Apple launches touchscreen MacBook Pro

Highlights

Apple unveils its first touchscreen MacBook Pro with ProLED XDR Display, M5 chips, priced from $2,899 (14-inch) and $3,399 (16-inch), shipping Nov. 6.
Amid an 11% year-over-year drop in Apple's third-quarter shipments and a 20% global PC decline, Apple raises Mac prices citing unsustainable memory costs.
Mac sales hit $10.35 billion in the last quarter, accounting for just under 10% of revenue, with Apple targeting developers and AI workloads for future growth.

Touchscreen MacBook Pro launch details

As reported by CNBC, citing Apple, the company on Wednesday introduced the MacBook Pro with ProLED XDR Display, its first laptop with a touch screen. The device uses OLED technology, runs on Apple's M5 Pro or M5 Max chips and remains on MacOS rather than adopting an iPhone or iPad operating system.

Apple showed users swiping directly on the screen to edit videos and images, while also adding a glowing Apple logo on the lid. The laptop goes on sale on Nov. 6, with the 14-inch model starting at $2,899 and the 16-inch version at $3,399, both above the pricing of existing models.

The release is Apple's third major product launch under Ternus and represents a reversal after years of resisting touchscreens on Macs. In live remarks to media and analysts in Los Angeles, Ternus said Apple is bringing touch to the Mac for the first time.

Mac business importance grows amid weak PC market

The launch comes as the laptop market remains under pressure. Overall shipments are expected to fall 11% this year, while third-quarter PC shipments drop 20% from a year earlier, according to IDC, and Apple's own shipments fall 11% in the period, based on the research firm's estimate.

Higher memory costs are also pushing up prices across the sector. Apple has already raised prices on nearly all Macs this year, including a $300 increase for Mac Minis introduced in August, after former CEO Tim Cook warns during the summer that memory pricing is "unsustainable."

Apple has rolled out a series of products in recent months, including new iPhones, a foldable iPhone Duo, a HomeView smart speaker and additional Mac models with M6 chips. In the company's most recent quarter, Mac sales reach $10.35 billion, just under 10% of total revenue, but Apple continues to position the Mac as a key platform for developers and for running local or edge AI workloads.

That strategy is drawing industry attention as developers use Macs for AI testing and deployment. IDC data shows only 17% of notebook PCs shipped globally this year have touchscreens, and IDC executive Ryan Reith says the move is more about software and user interface design than hardware limitations, potentially giving Apple another way to attract developers.

Our earlier coverage of Lenovo’s Hybrid AI strategy detailed the company’s plans to use its Tech World event at CES 2027 to showcase AI technologies spanning consumer devices and enterprise systems. We noted Lenovo’s emphasis on privacy, security, and data control, alongside strong recent revenue growth and rising AI-related sales as it pushes AI deeper into its product ecosystem.

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