Apple introduces touchscreen MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display

Apple on Wednesday introduced its first touchscreen laptop, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display.

The California-based technology giant unveiled the touchscreen device at an event in Los Angeles.

It is currently available to pre-order, and will begin shipping on November 6 with prices starting at $2,899 for a model with an M5 Pro processor.

The touchscreen version of Apple's MacBook will have 14-inch and 16-inch PROLED XDR displays to choose from.

A 14-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED model with an M5 Max chip starts at $4,499, while a 16-inch model starts at $4,799.

Apple says the new laptops also have a six-speaker sound system.

Attendees of the MacBook introduction event in Los Angeles pointed out that Apple’s logo on the back of the new model glows, a design touch that was once standard on Apple’s laptops for several years but phased out in 2015.

Johny Srouji, the company's chief hardware officer, described the latest version of the MacBook as a “monumental step forward”.

“PROLED XDR is the world’s best laptop display,” he said. “It pairs state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology with advanced algorithms in our display engine to deliver the kind of visual fidelity pros have been dreaming of.”

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"The new MacBook Pro also introduces intuitive touch capabilities on the Mac for the first time,” Apple's news release said, adding that the feature opens “up a whole new dimension for pros to interact with their content, from manipulating 3D models to playing musical instruments on screen."

A two-minute video released by Apple highlighted the new laptop's "10,000,000:1 contrast ratio” among other unique features. "It looks so real you'll want to reach out and touch it," the narrator says as users in the video show off the touchscreen features.

Apple said the new MacBook Pro would have three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe and a headphone jack.

"We’ve created a whole new way for pros to interact with their content, taking their workflows to a completely new level,” Mr Srouji explained, adding that the new MacBook Pro is the “result of the deep integration between Apple silicon, hardware and software, and there’s simply nothing else like it".

Apple's MacBook Pro PROLED is an interesting development for the company, considering how Apple co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs once dismissed the idea of a touchscreen laptop as other companies introduced them many years ago.

"We've done tonnes of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work," the late Apple chief executive said in 2010 during a product launch event, discussing why trackpads worked well with laptops and touchscreens did not.

"Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical, and it gives a great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue, and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. It doesn't work, it's ergonomically terrible," Mr Jobs said.

Approximately 16 years later, Apple seems to be confident enough in its research to feel differently.

Apple aficionados have been quick to point out the lengthy list of products that have made debuts years after Apple, and even Mr Jobs, dismissed their concepts.

Those products include video-capable iPods, stylus pens, larger iPhones and medium-sized iPads.

"Asus, Lenovo, HP, and Dell have already helped bring OLED screens to premium notebooks, but Apple’s entry could be a turning point," said David Naranjo, associate director for technology market analysis firm Counterpoint Research.

Show caption: An attendee looks at the new M6 14-inch MacBook Pro during t…

He also pointed out that Apple's expertise in establishing dominance in supply chains could help it significantly, and even help other companies.

"Not unlike smartphones, when Apple adopts OLED, it boosts manufacturing capacity, improves yields, and lowers panel costs, making OLED more affordable for a wider range of products," he explained.

Wednesday's event caps off a slew of product introductions by Apple, including the iPhone Duo, HomeView, updated iMacs and updated iPads.