Apple has put a touch screen on a MacBook Pro for the first time, ending years of insisting the company knew better. The feature arrives with a redesigned PROLED XDR Display across new 14-inch and 16-inch models, unveiled at Apple's "Pro and Tell" event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
PCMag's Eric Zeman got hands-on time with both machines before launch and, while he stressed the outlet hasn't run full tests yet, he called the touch implementation the most responsive he's used on a laptop screen. That's a subjective first impression from one reporter, not a verdict, and Apple's own testing claims haven't been independently verified.
The touch screen isn't free. Apple is charging $900 more for the 14-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR and $800 more for the 16-inch version compared with the standard models, according to PCMag. Preorders for the touch-enabled machines start at $2,899 for the 14-inch and $3,399 for the 16-inch, Apple's event materials show.
The new panel uses tandem OLED, a construction that stacks two OLED layers to boost brightness without sacrificing the deep blacks OLED is known for. Apple says the screens hit up to 2,000 nits of brightness, refresh at up to 120Hz with ProMotion, and cover 100% of the AdobeRGB color space along with full P3 coverage, a first for the MacBook Pro line. Apple also cites a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a figure PCMag says held up visually in its demo, though again, that's not an independent lab measurement.
Resolution lands around 3K on both sizes, at 254 pixels per inch. The 16-inch model's screen has actually grown to 16.3 inches diagonally thanks to thinner bezels, while the 14-inch panel holds at 14.2 inches. Buyers can still add Apple's nano-texture finish for glare resistance.
Because OLED panels don't need backlight hardware, Apple shaved size off both chassis. The 14-inch MacBook Pro now measures 0.59 inch thick and weighs 3 pounds, down from 0.61 inch and 3.4 pounds. The 16-inch model drops to 0.63 inch and 4 pounds, a loss of 0.7 pound and nearly a millimeter of thickness. PCMag says the 14-inch model now feels close to a MacBook Air in hand.
Apple also brought back the illuminated Apple logo on the lid, a feature that used to piggyback on the screen's backlight. Without one, Apple had to build a separate light source just for the logo, tuned to match the display's own brightness.
Everything else is familiar. The Magic Keyboard and Force Touch trackpad return unchanged, as does the port layout: multiple Thunderbolt 5 connections, HDMI, an SD card reader, a headphone jack and MagSafe. Color options stay at Space Black and silver.
Apple hasn't said whether touch input or the PROLED panel will reach other Mac models, and no Indian pricing has been announced for the new MacBook Pro as of this report. Preorders are open now through Apple, with Best Buy also taking orders alongside a gift card promotion tied to the launch.
CDFiled by The Computing Desk
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