Apple has finally added touchscreen support to the MacBook Pro, introducing the feature alongside OLED displays in redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch models. The company has used OLED and touch extensively across products such as the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, but Macs had remained an exception until now.
The decision marks a change from Apple's long-standing position on touchscreen laptops. In 2010, former CEO Steve Jobs argued that using a vertical touchscreen for extended periods was uncomfortable and that touch surfaces worked better horizontally. Since then, touchscreens have become common on Windows laptops and Chromebooks, while Apple's main experiment beyond a traditional keyboard and trackpad was the Touch Bar, which was later discontinued.
Apple's new MacBook Pro models feature what the company calls PROLED XDR displays, along with touch input. They are also lighter than current MacBook Pro models and include updated speaker systems, although their prices are higher. The new 14-inch model starts at $2,899, while the 16-inch version starts at $3,399.
Tom Mainelli, group vice president of device and consumer research at IDC, told Tom's Hardware that Apple generally waits until it can offer a differentiated product before adopting a technology. He suggested that the immediate motivation is demand from creators who already use touch-enabled iPhones and iPads, while the business rationale is to create a more premium tier in a mature professional laptop market.
Apple executives also pointed to changes in technology and user expectations. Apple's chief hardware officer, Johny Srouji, said that a decade had brought major developments in displays, custom silicon and software architecture. Senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak said a younger generation of MacBook Pro users and creators expects touch interaction because of its familiarity on phones and tablets.
The new MacBook Pro is not designed as a touch-first computer. Apple has kept the physical keyboard and trackpad, and the company is presenting touch as an additional input method rather than a replacement. In macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple has added system gesture APIs intended to make applications more compatible with touch. Apple says its own apps are ready, while also listing software including Microsoft Office, Zoom, Notion, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Lightroom, Blender and Algoriddim Djay Pro.
Touchscreen laptops have a long history outside Apple's product line. HP's TouchSmart tx2, released in 2008, used a swiveling display. Broader adoption accelerated with Microsoft's Surface Laptop RT and Windows 8 in 2012, while touch became increasingly common on Windows laptops through Windows 10 and Windows 11. Google's 2013 Chromebook Pixel also helped establish touch as a premium Chromebook feature.
The technology still has limitations. Touchscreens can add cost and weight, may affect battery life and do not always fit operating systems designed primarily around a keyboard and mouse. For users who need precise creative control, dedicated pen displays and other external tablets remain important tools.
Apple's high starting prices could also slow adoption. Touch is initially limited to the redesigned MacBook Pro models, and it may take time before the feature reaches less expensive MacBook Pro configurations, the MacBook Air or the MacBook Neo. A touchscreen iMac is also possible at some point, but the current rollout suggests that touch will not become standard across the Mac lineup immediately.
Sources: Tom's Hardware.