Apple Unveils Revolutionary Touchscreen MacBooks
John Ternus, the chief executive officer of Apple, introduced the company’s inaugural touchscreen MacBooks, signaling a decisive departure from its longstanding reluctance toward this technology.
This unveiling coincides with a flurry of product launches aimed at capturing consumer interest as the holiday shopping season approaches.
During a high-profile event in Los Angeles, Ternus showcased a MacBook Pro equipped with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, emphasizing its notable contrast, clarity, and brightness to an audience comprised of content creators and creative professionals.
Furthermore, Ternus announced the return of the iconic glowing Apple logo on the rear of the laptops, a nostalgic nod to previous designs.
“Our love for the Mac is unparalleled; it’s the reason many of us gravitated towards Apple initially. The Mac has never been more capable, nor stronger,” Ternus remarked on October 28.
This event was part of an extensive media campaign filled with new product launches following Ternus’ ascension as CEO.
Notably, he previously launched a folding iPhone, dubbed Duo, at Apple’s Silicon Valley headquarters in September, as well as a smart home hub in New York earlier in October.
While these new offerings venture into unfamiliar territory for Apple, the Los Angeles event reignited a long-debated question: Should the company finally integrate touchscreen functionality, which it popularized with the iPhone and iPad, into its oldest product line?
Historically, Apple executives have been resistant to this evolution. Steve Jobs famously condemned touchscreen laptops in 2010 as “ergonomically terrible,” while then-CEO Tim Cook likened such devices in 2012 to merging a toaster with a refrigerator.
Prior to his promotion, Ternus argued that Apple essentially had a touchscreen computer already through its iPad lineup.
However, with touchscreen interfaces prevalent across Windows devices for over a decade, and the iPhone approaching its twentieth anniversary, a new generation of consumers increasingly anticipates touch-responsive displays.
“Their previous stance on touch was misguided, and it seems reality has finally caught up with them,” stated Anshel Sag, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Some developments are simply unavoidable.”
Customer Response: An Anticipated Dilemma
A pivotal inquiry for Apple concerns customer reception. The company has experienced a surge in Mac sales, predominantly among tech enthusiasts and businesses procuring machines for on-device AI tasks.
The newly revealed MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 (approx. S$3,700) for the 14-inch variant featuring the M5 Pro chip, while the premium configuration begins at $4,799 for the 16-inch model boasting the more powerful M5 Max chip.
Notably, the new 16-inch version is 0.7 pounds lighter compared to the previous, non-touchscreen iteration.
Apple confirmed on October 28 that pre-orders for the new MacBook Pro commenced that same day, with sales slated to begin on November 6.
“This product is geared towards creators, designers, and photographers who will benefit from the high-fidelity screen that aligns with their experience of tapping on screens and editing on tablets and smartphones,” asserted Tom Mainelli, head of IDC’s Device & Consumer Research Group.
To mitigate the issue of burn-in—an OLED flaw where persistent images leave permanent marks—Apple has redesigned the chassis to efficiently dissipate warm air away from the display and employed the computational power of its M5 chips to maintain screen refresh rates.
“Expect an OLED lifespan comparable to that of an ordinary LCD screen. Apple has made significant strides in creating a vibrant display while simultaneously integrating touch,” Mainelli added.
Nevertheless, some analysts express skepticism regarding Apple’s potential to penetrate a market largely dominated by enterprise clientele, where competitors such as Lenovo, HP, and Dell provide more cost-effective devices.
According to IDC data, PC manufacturers shipped 33.4 million touchscreen notebooks in 2025, marking a 22% increase from the previous year, accounting for 16% of all shipped notebooks.
The average selling price for these devices hovered around $1,009, significantly lower than Apple’s pricing structure.
Notably, the entry-level touchscreen laptop unveiled by Apple costs more than a basic iPhone, MacBook, iPad with accessories, Apple Watch, and AirPods combined.
However, the expanding array of products and price points indicates that Apple is pursuing budget-conscious consumers without compromising its appeal to premium customers, suggesting an early strategy by Ternus to broaden the brand’s market reach.
Source link: Straitstimes.com.
