Touchscreen MacBook Pro Guide: Release date, price and new features
Macworld ·
Macworld Apple has announced its first touchscreen MacBook Pro lineup, officially called MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. Available in 14.2-inch and 16.3-inch sizes with M5 Pro or M5 Max processors, the new models combine tandem OLED technology with direct touchscreen input. Touch is standard across the new range, while non-touchscreen MacBook Pros remain available. The biggest changes include Dynamic Island, a smaller and lighter enclosure, and a new 16TB maximum SSD option on M5 Max configurations. The display adds Adobe RGB support and higher peak brightness while retaining a maximum 120Hz refresh rate. Other features include up to 128GB of RAM, Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7 and audio with a claimed 50% deeper bass. The touchscreen models retain the same chip families, memory capacities and advertised battery endurance as their equivalent non-touch M5 models, making this primarily an upgrade to the display, design and how users interact with their Mac. U.S. starting prices carry a $400 premium over equivalent non-touch versions, with the 14-inch M5 Pro starting at $2,899 and the 16-inch M5 Max starting at $4,799. What’s new compared with the non-touchscreen MacBook Pro? The processor generation, maximum RAM, Thunderbolt generation, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth versions and Apple’s battery-life ratings haven’t changed, but there is a lot that is different. Change New PROLED XDR models Non-touch M5 models Display technology Tandem OLED PROLED XDR Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR Touchscreen Standard Multi-Touch input No Peak brightness 2,000 nits peak HDR and outdoor SDR; sustained full-screen brightness remains up to 1,000 nits 1,600 nits HDR; up to 1,000 nits SDR outdoors Colour and contrast P3 plus Adobe RGB; quoted 10,000,000:1 contrast P3; quoted 1,000,000:1 contrast Screen dimensions and resolution 14.2-inch, 3024×1986; 16.3-inch, 3472×2266 14.2-inch, 3024×1964; 16.2-inch, 3456×2234 Camera cutout and interface Dynamic Island Notch Portability 14-inch: 1.38–1.40kg; 16-inch: 1.82–1.84kg; both thinner 14-inch: 1.60–1.62kg; 16-inch: 2.14–2.15kg Maximum storage 16TB with either M5 Max GPU configuration 8TB with M5 Max Camera stabilisation Adds advanced video stabilisation Existing computational video features Speakers Redesigned system; Apple claims 50% deeper bass Six-speaker system Touchscreen MacBook Pro release date: When will it launch? Pre-orders : October 28, 2026 On sale : November 6, 2026 Pre-orders opened on October 28, 2026, through Apple’s website and Apple Store app. Deliveries and retail availability begin Friday, November 6, through Apple Stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. Apple announces an initial rollout covering 30 countries and regions. Pre-order the touchscreen MacBook Pro PROLED XDR from Apple U.S. Pre-order the touchscreen MacBook Pro PROLED XDR from Apple U.K. Touchscreen MacBook Pro price Apple has introduced a more expensive touchscreen range alongside the existing models. The new range carries a $400 starting-price premium over every equivalent non-touch M5 model. The premium does not buy a newer processor generation, more base memory or a larger entry SSD. Model Non-touch starting price PROLED XDR starting price Difference 14-inch M5 Pro $2,499 / £2,499 $2,899 / £2,899 +$400 / £400 16-inch M5 Pro $2,999 / £2,999 $3,399 / £3,399 +$400 / £400 14-inch M5 Max $4,099 / £4,099 $4,499 / £4,499 +$400 / £400 16-inch M5 Max $4,399 / £4,399 $4,799 / $4,799 +$400 / £400 Touchscreen MacBook Pro design Apple The new MacBook Pro retains a conventional laptop layout, built-in keyboard and Force Touch trackpad. It comes in Space Black or Silver, with an enclosure made from 100% recycled aluminium. Compared to the existing models, the weight reduction is more substantial than the thickness reduction: the 14-inch models lose 220g, while the 16-inch models lose approximately 310–320g. Slimmer borders also allow the larger screen to grow slightly despite a reduced enclosure footprint. Apple describes a revised hinge and cooling system. It claims greater hinge stability during touch input and says the cooling design directs warm air away from the display. We’ll be verifying those claims in our review of the new laptop. Model Previous width × depth × thickness New width × depth × thickness Previous → new weight 14-inch M5 Pro 31.26 × 22.12 × 1.55cm 31.08 × 21.63 × 1.50cm 1.60 → 1.38kg 14-inch M5 Max Same Same 1.62 → 1.40kg 16-inch M5 Pro 35.57 × 24.81 × 1.68cm 35.55 × 24.42 × 1.60cm 2.14 → 1.82kg 16-inch M5 Max Same Same 2.15 → 1.84kg Touchscreen MacBook Pro dimensions compared to non-touchscreen models. Touchscreen MacBook display The PROLED XDR Display isn’t just for touching. Apple Both sizes offer M5 Pro and M5 Max configurations, and every PROLED XDR model includes touch. There is no base-M6 configuration in this touchscreen range. OLED’s benefits concern image reproduction: individually lit pixels, deeper blacks and reduced blooming around bright objects. Touch adds a separate benefit – direct interaction with content. The maximum refresh rate remains 120Hz. Apple indicates that pixel compensation mitigates ageing and burn-in, rather than establishing that OLED cannot deteriorate. It quotes 1% reflectance for standard glass; nano-texture scatters reflections further. There is also an oleophobic coating to reduce fingerprints. For cleaning, Apple advises powering down and using a soft cloth appropriately dampened for standard screens; never spray liquid directly onto the display. For nano-texture, use the supplied polishing cloth and follow Apple’s specific care instructions. Display specification 14-inch 16-inch Diagonal size 14.2 inches 16.3 inches Native resolution 3024×1986 3472×2266 Pixel density 254ppi 254ppi Technology Tandem OLED Tandem OLED Sustained full-screen HDR/SDR brightness Up to 1,000 nits Up to 1,000 nits Peak HDR brightness 2,000 nits 2,000 nits Peak outdoor SDR brightness 2,000 nits 2,000 nits ProMotion 10–120Hz 10–120Hz Colour One billion colours, P3 plus Adobe RGB, True Tone Same Glass Standard antireflective glass or optional nano-texture Same Apple qualifies the sustained brightness figure for temperatures below 25°C. Peak brightness does not mean the whole screen continuously operates at 2,000 nits. Which MacBook models get a touchscreen? Touch comes with the 14- and 16-inch PROLED XDR models using M5 Pro or M5 Max; the M6 MacBook Pro and Liquid Retina XDR models have no touchscreen. How does touch work in macOS? Apple Apple confirms scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, drawing, dragging and dropping, double-tapping a window to fill the screen, and flicking windows into tiled positions. Touch works alongside keyboard and trackpad input. Dynamic Island provides access to activities and controls. Spotlight’s relocation there requires Siri AI to be available and enabled. In everyday use, this offers a direct way to move through documents, enlarge photographs or reposition content. macOS translates taps into clicks for many existing apps; developers can use gesture APIs for more specialised controls. Apple indicated that there are forthcoming updates for Microsoft 365, Notion, Canva, Zoom, Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Shapr3D and djay Pro later this year. Creator Studio updates are confirmed to be coming in November. Touchscreen MacBook Pro processor M5 Pro and M5 Max As expected, the processors are carried-over M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The new models feature the same CPU/GPU options, Neural Engine and memory bandwidth as the equivalent non-touch models. All have a 16-core Neural Engine and GPU Neural Accelerators. The 18-core CPU comprises six “super cores” and 12 performance cores; the 15-core version has five and 10 respectively. Apple introduced these chips earlier in 2026. They use third-generation 3nm manufacturing and Apple’s Fusion Architecture, joining two dies into one system-on-chip through advanced packaging. Those are characteristics of the existing M5 Pro/Max generation, not manufacturing upgrades introduced with touch. For an example of Apple’s older-generation comparisons, it claims 10.9× faster time to first token than M1 Pro for a 14-inch M5 Pro model. Apple’s test used an 18-core CPU/20-core GPU, 64GB RAM and 4TB SSD against an M1 Pro with 10-core CPU/16-core GPU, 32GB RAM and 8TB SSD. The workload was a quantised 14-billion-parameter model, an 8K-token prompt and LM Studio. Apple made no indication that there was any CPU/GPU performance increase over an equivalent non-touch M5 configuration, or a quantified improvement in whole-system power efficiency. Separately, Apple has launched the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip . Touchscreen MacBook memory: How much RAM is included? There is no increase in base or maximum memory over the equivalent non-touch M5 models. The M5 Pro starts with 24GB, the 32-core GPU M5 Max has 36GB, and the 40-core version starts with 48GB. Reaching 64GB with M5 Pro requires the 20-core GPU; reaching 128GB requires the 40-core M5 Max. More memory can accommodate larger creative projects, more demanding multitasking and larger local AI models. Touchscreen MacBook storage: What is the highest capacity? The entry capacities are unchanged. However, it is possible to upgrade to 16TB on M5 Max, up from 8TB. In order to obtain that capacity buyers need either the 32-core or 40-core GPU. Apple makes an “up to twice as fast” storage claim that compares a 16TB M5 Max system with an 8TB M4 Max system. Both had 128GB RAM; testing used FIO 3.43 with 1,024KB requests, a 10GB file and queue depth eight. That test doesn’t demonstrate doubled SSD performance over the non-touch M5 range. We will be running our own benchmarks. Touchscreen MacBook camera, microphones and speakers The camera remains a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View and 1080p video recording. Advanced video stabilisation is new, however. Authentication remains Touch ID. Dynamic Island is an interface feature, not confirmation of Face ID or a TrueDepth camera. Apple retains a six-speaker system, force-cancelling woofers, Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Apple claims 50% deeper bass and adds closed-lid audio tuning. The three-microphone array retains directional beamforming, Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes. Touchscreen MacBook battery Apple lists video-streaming ratings of 22/20 hours for the 14-inch Pro/Max and 24/22 hours for the 16-inch Pro/Max, the same as the non-touchscreen models. Touchscreen MacBook Pro connectivity and ports Both sizes include: One 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones. Three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, supporting charging and DisplayPort. One HDMI port. One SDXC card slot. MagSafe 3. Apple quotes Thunderbolt/USB4 support up to 120Gb/s and DisplayPort 2.1. Apple’s N1 wireless chip, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread are included, but they are not touchscreen-model upgrades. External display support The M5 Pro chip supports three external displays at 6K/60Hz or 4K/165Hz. Alternatively, it can support one 8K/60Hz, 5K/120Hz or 4K/240Hz display, plus a second at up to 5K/120Hz or 4K/200Hz. The M5 Max chip supports four external displays at 6K/60Hz or 4K/165Hz, or two displays at up to 8K/60Hz, 5K/120Hz or 4K/240Hz. Apple’s PROLED XDR specifications lists 165Hz for the multi-display 4K configurations, rather than the older 144Hz figure. Touchscreen MacBook Pro versus non-touchscreen specs Model / display range CPU cores GPU cores Available memory (GB) SSD options (TB) Video streaming (up to hours) U.S. included adapter Battery capacity (Wh) D isplay resolution (pixels) 14-inch M5 Pro PROLED XDR (touch) 15 16 24, 48 1, 2, 4 22 70W USB-C 72.6 3024 × 1986 14-inch M5 Pro PROLED XDR (touch) 18 20 24, 48, 64 1, 2, 4 22 96W USB-C 72.6 3024 × 1986 14-inch M5 Max PROLED XDR (touch) 18 32 36 2, 4, 8, 16 20 96W USB-C 72.6 3024 × 1986 14-inch M5 Max PROLED XDR (touch) 18 40 48, 64, 128 2, 4, 8, 16 20 96W USB-C 72.6 3024 × 1986 16-inch M5 Pro PROLED XDR (touch) 18 20 24, 48, 64 1, 2, 4 24 140W USB-C 100.0 3472 × 2266 16-inch M5 Max PROLED XDR (touch) 18 32 36 2, 4, 8, 16 22 140W USB-C 100.0 3472 × 2266 16-inch M5 Max PROLED XDR (touch) 18 40 48, 64, 128 2, 4, 8, 16 22 140W USB-C 100.0 3472 × 2266 14-inch M5 Pro Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 15 16 24, 48 1, 2, 4 22 70W USB-C 72.4 3024 × 1964 14-inch M5 Pro Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 18 20 24, 48, 64 1, 2, 4 22 96W USB-C 72.4 3024 × 1964 14-inch M5 Max Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 18 32 36 2, 4, 8 20 96W USB-C 72.4 3024 × 1964 14-inch M5 Max Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 18 40 48, 64, 128 2, 4, 8 20 96W USB-C 72.4 3024 × 1964 16-inch M5 Pro Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 18 20 24, 48, 64 1, 2, 4 24 140W USB-C 100.0 3456 × 2234 16-inch M5 Max Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 18 32 36 2, 4, 8 22 140W USB-C 100.0 3456 × 2234 16-inch M5 Max Liquid Retina XDR (non-touch) 18 40 48, 64, 128 2, 4, 8 22 140W USB-C 100.0 3456 × 2234 Should you buy the touchscreen MacBook Pro? Is touch worth the premium? Provisionally, the stronger justification is the combined OLED display, lower weight and touch capability. Buyers who regularly manipulate visual content may find direct input useful. Those who mainly type, use a mouse or work on an external display have less reason to pay the extra $400. A firm verdict needs testing of reflections, fingerprints, reach, hinge movement and app behaviour. Which model? The 14-inch M5 Pro is the most accessible and portable option. Choose the 16-inch M5 Pro for a larger workspace and Apple’s longest battery rating. M5 Max makes sense when GPU performance, memory bandwidth, more than 64GB RAM or storage above 4TB serves a demonstrated workload; it is unnecessary simply to obtain touch. Should existing owners upgrade? For owners of an M5 Pro or M5 Max MacBook Pro, this is principally a screen and portability decision. M4 owners should similarly assess the display benefits against the cost. Older Apple-silicon and Intel owners may gain more broadly, but performance improvements vary by application. This or an iPad Pro? Choose the MacBook Pro when desktop Mac applications, its keyboard, ports and professional workflows are essential. Choose an iPad Pro when a handheld tablet and supported Apple Pencil workflow are central. Apple has not established Pencil support, a detachable display or tablet conversion for this MacBook Pro.