Apple has introduced a new MacBook Pro with a touch screen, priced at $2,899 and up, bringing the “touch experience” to its professional laptop series. The new laptop features a PROLED XDR display, up to 24 hours of battery life, and a price tag to match its high-performance capabilities.
A key aspect of this new MacBook Pro is its touch functionality, which has been integrated into the macOS 27 operating system. This allows users to swipe, pinch, and drag-and-drop with ease, augmenting the traditional Mac interface with touch capabilities.
Touch on a Mac
The touch sensor is built into the display panel, reducing latency and making it feel like users are touching the content directly. Many existing applications will automatically work with touch, and Apple has built APIs for developers to create touch-enabled apps.
Apple states that touch will be particularly useful for creative professionals, who can use it to play virtual instruments, draw, and control creative apps like Logic Pro or Final Cut Pro. The company has also announced that Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe Lightroom and other apps, will be touch-enabled later this year.
Integrated Platform
The new MacBook Pro features a new hinge mechanism that keeps the display steady when touched, and includes a Dynamic Island, similar to the one found on the iPhone. The PROLED XDR display supports various reference modes, including Adobe RGB, P3, and DICOM medical imaging, and boasts a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and variable refresh rate.
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The laptop also features a high-quality audio system with six speakers and a new woofer design, as well as plenty of interconnects. With its touch screen and high-performance capabilities, Apple is entering a segment of the market that is gaining share, with IDC expecting touch to reach one in five notebooks by 2030.
Market Impact
Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of worldwide devices at IDC, notes that Apple’s entry into the touch screen laptop market marks the end of the debate about whether touch is a gimmick. Instead, the question becomes who builds the best implementation, with Apple’s new MacBook Pro setting a high standard for the industry.
The new Macs are available for order now and will be available from November 6, with prices starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model. While they may not be cheap, they offer a unique combination of touch functionality, high-performance capabilities, and high-quality display and audio.
The touch screen functionality in the new MacBook Pro series is expected to be particularly useful for creative professionals, who will be able to use it to enhance their workflow and productivity.
