Apple Embraces Touchscreens on New MacBook Pro Models
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Apple has launched new MacBook Pro models with touchscreens, reversing a long-standing company policy against the technology. CEO John Ternus stated the company waited for the right integration, which now includes Tandem OLED displays and the Dynamic Island. The new laptops, powered by M5 Pro/Max chips, are thinner, lighter, and offer extended battery life, starting at $2,899 in the U.S. This move contradicts the views of late founder Steve Jobs, who previously criticized touchscreens on laptops.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Apple's new MacBook Pros feature touchscreens, a significant reversal of its previous stance.
- CEO John Ternus stated Apple waited for the right touch integration without compromising design.
- The laptops include Tandem OLED displays, Dynamic Island, and are powered by M5 Pro/Max chips.
- This contradicts the views of late founder Steve Jobs, who opposed touchscreens on laptops.
- Pricing for the new MacBook Pros starts at $2,899 in the U.S., with a November 6th release.
Apple has unveiled its latest MacBook Pro models, featuring touchscreens, a significant departure from the company's long-held stance against the technology. Apple CEO John Ternus acknowledged the shift, stating the company waited until it could integrate touch functionality without compromising the laptop's design. The new MacBook Pros, available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, boast a Tandem OLED ProLED XDR display with up to 2,000 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. Users can now interact directly with the screen for scrolling, zooming, window management, and app control, in addition to the traditional keyboard and trackpad.
This move marks a reversal of the philosophy espoused by the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, who in 2010 argued that touchscreens on vertical laptop displays were ergonomically poor and that user testing indicated they did not work well. Ternus himself had previously stated in 2021 that Macs were optimized for keyboard and trackpad input and saw no need for change. The new models also incorporate the Dynamic Island, an interactive area previously seen on iPhones, for managing calls, real-time activities, and AirDrop approvals directly from the top of the screen.
Apple has also adapted its professional applications, such as Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, and Logic Pro, to support touch input for tasks like video editing, drawing, and playing virtual instruments. The screen's hinge has been redesigned for stability during touch use. Internally, the laptops are powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max processors, with options for up to 128GB of memory, 16TB of storage, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Apple claims the new models are thinner and lighter than their predecessors, offering up to 24 hours of battery life.
The new premium MacBook Pros start at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model in the U.S. Pre-orders are open, with availability starting November 6th in the U.S. and other markets. Pricing and release dates for Israel have not yet been announced. Apple also recently introduced a MacBook Pro with an M6 processor but without a touchscreen, priced from $1,999. Ternus declined to commit to whether touch technology would eventually come to the more affordable MacBook Air models.
