--- title: "Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro arrives with an OLED panel and a $400 premium" description: "Apple has put a touchscreen on a MacBook Pro for the first time, and the details cover weight, price, gestures and one stutter." url: https://tech.skoop.news/apple-s-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-an-b3540e/ published: 2026-10-29T08:00:43.262909-04:00 modified: 2026-10-29T08:00:43.262939-04:00 section: "Tech & Apps" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Apple", "MacBook Pro", "Touch Bar MacBook Pro", "MacBook Pro Apple", "PROLED XDR Display", "Dynamic Island", "Los Angeles", "OLED", "Spaces", "Intel"] hashtags: ["#MacBookPro", "#TouchBarMacBookPro", "#MacBookProApple", "#tech", "#ai"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Apple_MacBook_Pro_15%22_%282017%29.jpg/1280px-Apple_MacBook_Pro_15%22_%282017%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro arrives with an OLED panel and a $400 premium > Apple has put a touchscreen on a MacBook Pro for the first time, and the details cover weight, price, gestures and one stutter. Published 2026-10-29 · Updated 2026-10-29 · Tech & Apps, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display costs $400 more than the non-OLED versions, and it is the first MacBook Pro Apple has made with a touchscreen [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). - Apple kept the standard 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes for the redesigned MacBook Pro [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). - Touch input works as expected for swiping through images, two-finger multi-touch gestures such as panning and zooming, drawing in apps, and adjusting editing sliders [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). ## What Apple announced The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display costs $400 more than the non-OLED versions, and it is the first MacBook Pro Apple has made with a touchscreen [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). Apple announced it at a 'Pro and Tell' event in Los Angeles [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The cost is higher than usual because of an ongoing storage and RAM crisis [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). If you shop for a MacBook Pro, the premium over the non-OLED versions is the first number to check [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). ## Hardware: same sizes, same ports Apple kept the standard 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes for the redesigned MacBook Pro [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The 14-inch model weighs three pounds and the 16-inch weighs four pounds [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). Bloomberg reported that Apple redesigned the laptops' internal components to substantially reduce their weight [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). The new models keep the same set of ports as before [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The keyboard and trackpad appear to be the same as those on the MacBook Pro since its 2021 redesign [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The glowing logo on the lid has returned [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The OLED technology in the new MacBook Pro produces very deep blacks [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). A report says it offers deeper blacks, improved contrast and more vibrant colors than the mini-LED displays on current premium laptops [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). Apple released the iPad Pro with a 'tandem OLED' screen in 2024 [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). ## How touch works in macOS Touch input works as expected for swiping through images, two-finger multi-touch gestures such as panning and zooming, drawing in apps, and adjusting editing sliders [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The macOS user interface has not significantly changed to accommodate touch [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). Existing trackpad gestures also work on the touchscreen, such as a three-finger swipe to move between full-screen apps [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). Users can flick apps to different sides of the screen to set up window layouts, which is also possible on the iPad [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The reviewer noticed occasional stutters while switching between Spaces or full-screen apps [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). ## How we got here For years Apple maintained that touchscreens were better suited to tablets than to personal computers [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). Steve Jobs famously opposed touchscreen laptops, arguing that reaching toward a vertical display was uncomfortable during prolonged use [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). Before the launch, Apple was reported to be preparing to introduce its first touchscreen MacBook Pro alongside a redesigned iPad mini later in October [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). Apple has reportedly developed reinforced hinges to keep the screen from moving excessively when touched [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). Reports before the launch also described other expected changes. The laptops were expected to replace the camera notch with a smaller cutout resembling the Dynamic Island [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). They were expected to use Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max processors [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). The next-generation iPad mini was expected to replace its LCD panel with an OLED screen [[2]](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396). ## A comparison with the 2016 Touch Bar models The 2016 Touch Bar MacBook Pro models were about the same weight as the new models [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). Those 2016 models ran Intel chips and had notorious difficulty staying cool and performant under heavy workloads [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). ## What it means for you If you use a MacBook Pro, the 14-inch and 16-inch sizes stay the same, and so do the ports [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The keyboard and trackpad appear to be the same as on the 2021 redesign, so your trackpad gestures also work on the touchscreen [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). If you plan to use touch, swiping through images, panning, zooming, drawing and adjusting editing sliders work as expected [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). Watch for occasional stutters when you switch between Spaces or full-screen apps [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). The price is the other thing to weigh, since the new laptops carry a $400 premium over the non-OLED versions [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/). ## Sources 1. [Apple's First Touchscreen MacBook Pro Feels Both Familiar And Radically Improved](https://www.engadget.com/2300023/apples-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-feels-both-familiar-and-radically-improved/) — Engadget 2. [Apple Set to Launch Its First Touchscreen MacBook Pro and Redesigned iPad Mini Later This Month: Report](https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-set-launch-its-first-touchscreen-macbook-pro-redesigned-ipad-mini-later-this-month-report-3808396) — International Business Times Image: Photo: iMahesh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_MacBook_Pro_15%22_(2017).jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/