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Apple Unveils First Touchscreen MacBook Pro

Apple’s new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models add a tandem OLED touchscreen, Dynamic Island and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips.

Apple Unveils First Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Dan Coveney
By Dan Coveney Owner reviewerPublished

What you need to know

  • Apple announced its first touchscreen MacBook Pro on 28 October, with 14-inch and 16-inch versions.
  • UK prices start at £2,899 for the 14-inch M5 Pro model, with pre-orders now open.
  • The new PROLED XDR screen combines tandem OLED technology, touch input and the Mac’s first Dynamic Island.

Apple has unveiled its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, adding direct touch controls and a new tandem OLED panel to its high-end laptop range.

The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display was announced on 28 October and comes in 14-inch and 16-inch versions with Apple’s M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. UK pre-orders are open now, with deliveries, Apple Store availability and authorised reseller stock due from Friday 6 November.

Prices start at £2,899

The 14-inch M5 Pro model starts at £2,899 in the UK, rising to £3,399 for the 16-inch version. M5 Max configurations start at £4,499 for the 14-inch model and £4,799 for the 16-inch model. Eligible students and educators can get lower prices through Apple’s education programme.

That makes the entry-level touchscreen MacBook Pro £900 more expensive than the non-touch 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro Apple announced on 27 October, which starts at £1,999.

A touchscreen, OLED and Dynamic Island

Apple’s PROLED XDR Display uses tandem OLED technology and supports direct Multi-Touch gestures including scrolling, pinching, rotating and drawing. Apple says the touch sensor is integrated into the display panel to reduce latency, while macOS can translate many touches into clicks for existing apps.

The display reaches up to 2,000 nits of peak HDR and SDR brightness, according to Apple, with a claimed 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a 10–120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Buyers can choose optional nano-texture glass to reduce reflections.

The new models also bring Dynamic Island to the Mac. Apple says it can handle Spotlight searches, Live Activities, Siri AI, music controls, calls and AirDrop notifications.

  • M5 Pro models offer up to an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU and 64GB of unified memory.
  • M5 Max models offer up to an 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU and 128GB of unified memory.
  • Storage starts at 1TB on M5 Pro and 2TB on M5 Max, with configurations up to 16TB.
  • Both sizes include three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, MagSafe 3, an SDXC card slot, Wi-Fi 7 and a 12MP Centre Stage camera.

Who is it for?

Apple is pitching touch particularly at creative and specialist users, highlighting drawing, photo and video editing, music production, 3D modelling and developer workflows. It lists support for apps including Microsoft Office, Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Shapr3D and djay Pro, although Apple says some updates will arrive later in 2026.

For buyers who simply need a powerful MacBook Pro for everyday work, the £1,999 M6 model is likely to be the more rational comparison. The new touchscreen range adds substantial display and interaction upgrades, but its starting price puts it firmly in professional territory.

Why it matters

This is Apple’s first move into touchscreen Macs, but it comes with a steep price premium. The cheapest touchscreen model costs £900 more than Apple’s newly announced non-touch 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro. For most buyers, the cheaper model remains the more straightforward choice; the touch model is aimed more clearly at creative and specialist workflows such as drawing, editing and 3D work.

Sources: Apple Newsroom · Apple MacBook Pro · Apple UK Newsroom
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