Apple’s long-awaited touchscreen MacBook Pro is finally here. I was able to test this MacBook that, according to the last two Apple CEOs, should not exist. The most surprising thing is how normal it is.
The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display (what a name) has one of the nicest displays I’ve seen on a laptop. The current MacBook Pro Mini LEDs are great, but the OLED has those even darker blacks. It also becomes super bright, with incredibly rich colors and infinite contrast. Apple calls it a “reference caliber display,” which is a very Apple marketing term, but it follows suit by being the first laptop display to support Apple CMF 2026 color modes.
But Apple didn’t spend 16 years saying it wouldn’t put an OLED in a laptop. The distinguishing feature (the thing Apple was never going to do until it did it) was the touch screen. How would Apple prove that laptop touchscreens aren’t “ergonomically terrible”? What magic would you bring to this input method that makes us say, “Ah ha! Apple took its time, but In fact “I discovered it”?
And it’s just a touch screen.
Of course, I’m glad Apple is finally doing this. There’s nothing wrong with satisfying people’s natural urge to reach out and touch something on a screen. But there is no magic either. You can push and slide your finger on the screen. Hurrah! Some UI elements in macOS 27 Golden Gate and certain apps magnify or expand slightly when you touch them. It’s cool and all, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to reinvent the way we use laptops. (Better luck on future macOS updates, I guess?)
More than a decade ago, touchscreen laptops were supposed to be revolutionary. Microsoft gave Windows 8 a completely new touch-optimized user interface. The laptops started twisting and bending and became weird and funny. Then Windows 8 crashed and burned, and convertible laptops became just another product segment rather than redefining what a laptop looks and works like. Apple waited, realized that no one cared much, added a touchscreen with some minor UI improvements, and said, “Okay, enjoy macOS with a little swiping.”
It’s a little boring, but maybe it’s a winning move. It finally rips off Apple’s Band-Aid and sets the table for touchscreens to one day make their way to much more affordable laptops like the MacBook Air and Neo. Apple still has plenty of touch devices for people who want to prioritize that. But this is normal now: you have a laptop with a keyboard, trackpad, and a touch screen for when you want to touch it.
It’s all very strategic, as is often the case with Apple. But it’s hard not to be surprised that more could have been done. Looking at the touchscreen settings menu, I saw that most touch gestures simply map to things you can already do on the trackpad. At the Apple event, I attended briefings that included professionals who recently started using the touchscreen MacBook Pro. Touching the screen wasn’t redefining their workflows or the way they practice their craft; They still defaulted to keyboard and trackpad functions. The touch screen was just a bonus. When I asked a few of them if they wanted the MacBook Pro to include Apple Pencil support, almost all of them said yes, that would be great too. Because the more options, the better. It took Apple more than a decade to get to the touch screen. Don’t hold your breath for the pen holder or a 360-degree hinge.
The new OLED and lighter chassis are just as important as the touchscreen to making the new MacBook Pro feel special. Dynamic Island is a nice improvement over the level. And bringing back the illuminated Apple logo is just fun! In fact, it’s what sparked the biggest reaction from the crowd during John Ternus’ incredibly brief set. This new MacBook Pro looks great as a whole, but there’s more magic in the logo on the lid than in the touchscreen.
Before the event, I was wondering how Apple could make a touchscreen laptop. better. And well, it just made a touch screen. laptop.
Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
