Apple launches touchscreen MacBook Pro models
Apple unveiled 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with touchscreen displays, featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips and OLED screens, as the PC market faces declining shipments.
Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with touchscreen displays at an event in Los Angeles on Oct. 28. The devices are powered by the company's M5 Pro and M5 Max processors and start at $2,899 for the 14-inch model. Both models use OLED panels and incorporate the Dynamic Island feature previously seen on the iPhone.
The introduction marks a reversal of a policy that the company has maintained for roughly two decades, during which co-founder Steve Jobs argued that laptop touchscreens were ergonomically unsuitable and former CEO Tim Cook was hesitant to merge laptop and tablet functions. Apple cited growing consumer demand and the prevalence of touchscreens on Windows-based notebooks as reasons for the change.
The launch occurs amid a weak PC market, with IDC reporting a 20% year-over-year decline in global PC shipments for the third quarter and rising memory-chip costs contributing to higher device prices. Analysts suggest the new MacBook Pro line is intended to help Apple maintain its market position under these conditions.
Technology commentator Antonio Di Benedetto of The Verge discussed how macOS is being adapted for touch input and debated whether the MacBook and iPad might eventually converge into a single product.