Apple Breaks 20-Year Tradition With First Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro
Apple has abandoned a design principle it maintained for two decades since the MacBook's debut in 2006, unveiling its first MacBook Pro equipped with a touchscreen and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The move marks a significant shift toward direct touch input and could reshape the p
Apple has abandoned a 20-year tradition with the launch of its first MacBook Pro equipped with a touchscreen and OLED display. The move represents a significant shift toward direct touch input and could reshape the premium laptop market. Apple unveiled the 14-inch and 16-inch touchscreen OLED models at a product launch event in Los Angeles on October 28.
The company had resisted touchscreens in the past, citing the suitability of mouse and trackpad input. The new displays feature direct touch sensors, a Pro LED XDR branding, and a Dynamic Island replacing the previous notch. The models are 14.2 inches and 16.3 inches, weighing 1.38 and 1.82 kilograms respectively, with up to 24 hours of battery life.
They are powered by Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for local AI capabilities. Prices in South Korea start at $3,593 for the 14-inch model and $3,780 for the 16-inch, with preorders beginning at October 30. The new MacBook Pro models could provide a significant boost to South Korea's display industry, with Samsung Display supplying the initial batch of OLED panels.
Omdia forecasts that the broader notebook OLED market will expand nearly fivefold, from $15.6 billion this year to $77 billion by 2033. Challenges include soaring memory chip prices and potential intensified competition from Chinese manufacturers.
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