Hands-on: Apple’s touchscreen MacBook Pro adds touch, trims weight

A lighter MacBook Pro

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro has a PROLED XDR display and weighs 3 pounds. The current non-touch models start at 3.4 pounds for the newly introduced M6 versions.

The 16-inch touchscreen model weighs 4 pounds, compared with 4.7 pounds for the non-touch M5 Pro version. It feels more balanced when lifted from a corner, and is slightly thinner with a slightly smaller footprint than the current 16-inch MacBook Pro. Its materials feel much like those used in recent models.

Apple has also brought back a glowing logo on the lid. Its brightness follows the screen, and it can be dimmed or turned off.

Touch controls in macOS

With Apple’s own apps, users can swipe to scroll, pinch to zoom and double-tap to maximize a window. macOS translates taps into clicks for third-party apps, although small controls can be difficult to hit accurately.

Some controls enlarge when touched, including the red, yellow and green window buttons. Drop-down menus also become larger after a tap, offering a wider target. Firm taps near the top of the display can make the laptop wobble, despite the MacBook Pro’s solid hinges.

Dynamic Island and price

The Dynamic Island replaces the notch with a smaller area for items such as currently playing music and quick controls. Brightness and volume sliders also appear there when adjusted.

The touchscreen does not appear to transform the MacBook into a new kind of product; Apple is offering it as a MacBook Pro variant. The OLED touchscreen model starts at $2,899, which is $400 more than a similarly configured M5 Pro MacBook Pro.