According to well-known leaker Mark Gurman, Apple (AAPL.US) just successfully verified this month that consumers are willing to pay $2,000 or more for a foldable iPhone. Now it is preparing to test the market again with another high-priced product: a touchscreen laptop.
Apple plans to unveil new high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models at its Pro and Tell event at 1 a.m. Beijing time on October 29, adding higher-priced versions above its existing lineup. These new machines feature the Mac line's first OLED XDR touch display and Dynamic Island, and their starting prices will also hit a new high. According to people familiar with the matter, the new 14-inch version with the M5 Pro chip is priced at $2,899, $400 more than the current M5 Pro model released in March and raised in price once in June. The existing 16-inch MacBook Pro without a touchscreen starts at $2,999, which suggests the new touchscreen version will start at at least $3,399; the premium for the larger model is theoretically expected to be even higher than that of the 14-inch version. Apple will keep the non-touch versions and sell them alongside the new machines. A spokesperson for the Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment.
At this Los Angeles event, Apple will focus on content creators, self-media bloggers and editing professionals, whom it sees as the core target customers for this new device. The $2,899 price means this 14-inch model will become the highest-starting-price MacBook Pro in history, surpassing the 17-inch version launched in 2006, which was priced at $2,799 at the time. The pricing also puts Apple in the first tier of high-end touchscreen laptops, competing with Dell's similarly configured high-end OLED notebooks.
Apple ultimately decided to add a touchscreen to the Mac, a decision that was finalized about four years ago. Then-CEO Tim Cook approved the project, partly because the touchscreen was one of the features users demanded most. A person familiar with the matter said: "He said at the time that we should make this product." Cook's successor, former hardware chief John Ternus, led the development of these new computers after becoming CEO, working closely with the software team. Ternus believes Apple has fallen behind in this category and said internally that touchscreens have become standard for laptops and it is time for Apple to embrace the technology.
This is a major strategic shift for Apple. For nearly two decades, Apple executives had rejected the idea of touchscreen laptops, arguing that touch input did not match the Mac's design and ergonomic logic. As early as January 2023, reports said Apple planned to add a touchscreen to the MacBook Pro, and details about the new display, software interaction, chips and design changes were gradually disclosed later. Apple plans to open pre-orders for the new machines on Wednesday local time, along with the new iPad mini, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip and the iMac updated earlier this week. The touchscreen MacBook Pro is expected to go on sale as early as November 6, alongside other new products.
Beyond the display upgrade, the new MacBook Pro largely continues the current design, with narrower screen bezels, a slightly thinner body and significantly reduced weight. Apple also redesigned the hinge structure to prevent the screen from wobbling when users tap it. The internal structure has also been optimized and the cooling system retuned, reducing weight while improving airflow through the hinge area. Apple did not completely solve the ergonomic pain points that executives cited years ago when opposing touchscreen laptops. Instead, it adapted the macOS Golden Gate system. The new system will bring up knob-style menu interactions around the user's finger while still keeping the keyboard and trackpad as the Mac's core interaction methods.
The first batch of touchscreen MacBook Pros uses chips released earlier this year; the report says Apple is already developing the next generation, which will feature M7 Pro and M7 Max chips and is expected to launch next fall. Apple also plans an entry-level M7 MacBook Pro that will adopt this new design next year. In addition, Apple plans to launch a new MacBook Air and MacBook Neo in 2027, and a Mac Studio with the M7 Ultra chip in 2028. This series of products is part of a multi-year major update plan for the Mac line, aimed at capturing demand driven by the AI wave and seizing the market through the advantages of its in-house chips.
These new Mac products are not Apple's final launches this year. The all-new HomeView smart home device and an updated Apple TV set-top box will go on sale on November 13.
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