Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro has now reached reviewers, and Bloomberg’s early impressions suggest Apple has taken a deliberately restrained approach to bringing Touch to the Mac rather than trying to turn macOS into an iPad-style operating system.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman looks at the redesigned MacBook Pro after spending time with the new hardware. The central theme is that Touch works as an additional way to interact with the Mac, while the keyboard, trackpad and familiar macOS interface remain at the center of the experience.
That matches Apple’s own positioning. When it introduced the new MacBook Pro, Apple described Touch as an extra input method rather than a replacement for the trackpad. Users can scroll, pinch to zoom, drag content, manipulate controls and interact directly with compatible apps, while conventional pointer input continues to work exactly as before. The Apple Post previously detailed how Touch works across macOS.
The approach helps explain why Apple spent years resisting touchscreen Macs. Rather than redesigning macOS around fingers, the company has adapted the existing interface so direct touch can be used where it is convenient without forcing users to change the way they already work.
Apple has also lined up support from apps including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Canva, Notion and Zoom. Many existing apps work immediately, while developers can build more tailored touch interactions using new gesture APIs.
Touch is only one part of the redesign. The new MacBook Pro also introduces Apple’s tandem OLED PROLED XDR display, Dynamic Island, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner and lighter chassis, and up to 24 hours of battery life. The PROLED XDR panel is one of the largest display upgrades Apple has made to the MacBook Pro.
The 14-inch model with M5 Pro starts at $2,899 in the United States and £2,899 in the United Kingdom, while the 16-inch version starts at $3,399 and £3,399 respectively. Both begin arriving to customers on Friday, November 6.
For a full breakdown of the new hardware, The Apple Post has rounded up everything you need to know about the new MacBook Pro with Touch and PROLED XDR.