New Touchscreen MacBook Pros from Apple Launch Above 60 Thousand Rand Price Point

Apple has announced the release of a new version of the MacBook Pro, which is equipped with a touchscreen for the first time. Additionally, this line integrates PROLED XDR technology, M5 Pro and M5 Max processors, and the Dynamic Island feature in the macOS operating system.

In Brazil, the starting prices for the device range from 34,999 to 57,999 Brazilian reais. The computer is available in two sizes—14 and 16 inches—and is aimed at professionals involved in software development, design, photography, video editing, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The main innovation is the ability to interact with the MacBook Pro screen through touch. For the first time, Apple allows users to control the Mac using gestures, such as pinching to zoom images or moving elements between windows, as well as scrolling pages.

This functionality is designed for professional use: designers can draw directly on the display, musicians can play digital instruments, and developers can test iOS and iPadOS applications directly on the laptop. The company emphasizes that the touchscreen is integrated into the display itself, not overlaid on it, which minimizes interaction latency. Furthermore, touch commands work in conjunction with the keyboard and trackpad, without replacing them.

The new device is compatible with applications such as Notion, Canva, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Creative tools, including Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, and Blender, are also included in the list.

The PROLED XDR screen utilizes dual-layer OLED technology, aimed at improving contrast, brightness, and image uniformity. According to Apple, the panel's peak brightness reaches two thousand nits in both HDR and SDR content. The panel also boasts a contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1 and an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The ProMotion technology allows the refresh rate to drop to 10 Hz to improve energy efficiency.

For professionals requiring high color accuracy, support for P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces is provided, along with coverage of over 80% of the Rec. 2020 space. Additionally, the laptop can feature a nano-textured glass option that reduces reflections in brightly lit areas, which is particularly useful for photographers, designers, and video specialists.

The new generation is equipped with powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which Apple positions as the most powerful processors for professional laptops. Configurations can include up to 128 GB of unified memory and 16 TB of storage. The company highlights the capability of these components to handle tasks such as code compilation, 8K ProRes video editing, 3D modeling, and running AI models directly on the device.

According to Apple's statement, the M5 Max chip is capable of locally running language models with hundreds of billions of parameters, enabling complex tasks without needing to access remote servers. Both chips also include accelerators for AI tasks and graphics resources to enhance performance in professional applications.

Another significant modification is the introduction of Dynamic Island. This feature combines the capabilities of Spotlight, Live Activities, and Siri AI in a dedicated area for quick information display and interaction. Users can use it for searching, tracking real-time updates, managing music, and interacting with Apple's voice assistant.

The laptop also comes with macOS 27, which includes Apple Intelligence features and enhancements for Siri. According to the manufacturer, Siri will be able to help find information in emails, messages, and photos, answer questions, and perform actions across different applications.

Apple guarantees up to 24 hours of battery life for the new MacBook Pro. The 14-inch model weighs 1.38 kg, while the 16-inch version weighs 1.82 kg. The screen diagonals are 14.2 and 16.3 inches, respectively. The thinner profile of the devices is attributed to the architecture of the new OLED screen, as well as a redesigned thermal management system to maintain chip performance.

In terms of connectivity, the device is equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe, and a headphone jack. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and the M5 Pro version supports up to three external monitors, while the M5 Max supports up to four.

The audio system includes six speakers, providing 50% deeper bass compared to the previous generation, according to Apple. The 12 MP Center Stage camera and studio-quality microphones complete the set of features for calls and recording.

Pre-orders start on Thursday (28) on the Apple website and in the Apple Store app. Devices are expected to be available in stores and begin shipping on November 6. Apple has also offered special educational pricing, reducing the starting costs to 33,199, 39,499, 50,399, and 54,299 Brazilian reais.

In addition to hardware and software changes, the manufacturer stated that the new MacBook Pro uses 55% recycled materials in its composition, including aluminum in the casing and cobalt in the battery. This launch is part of the company's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030.

Apple has unveiled new versions of the MacBook Pro, in 14 and 16-inch sizes, that incorporate a touch OLED screen, confirming previous speculation. This announcement follows the Cupertino company's presentation of the iPad Mini with an OLED screen and different versions of the iMac and MacBook Pro equipped with the M6 chip.

This is the first time a Mac line model adopts a 'touch' screen function, excluding notebooks that have the Touch Bar. Although the technology has existed for several years, Apple had shown resistance to this feature. The company's change in stance may be a reaction to growing user demand, who recognize the utility of this feature in activities such as design.

Apple names this new screen ProLED XDR. It is an OLED panel capable of reaching a peak brightness of 2,000 nits and an impressive contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1. Furthermore, the refresh rate can reach 120 Hz. This technology is present in the 14 and 16-inch models, as previously reported.

Internally, the MacBook Pro can be configured with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip. It is worth noting that the M6 chip is currently available only for the 14-inch MacBook Pro released the day before.

The devices can be equipped with up to 128 GB of unified RAM and offer up to 16 TB of internal storage. Apple also emphasized that it redesigned the new MacBook Pros to make them lighter and stated that the battery can provide up to 24 hours of use on a single full charge.

According to verified leaks, Apple is preparing to introduce a wave of updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros at the 'Pro and Tell' event on October 28th. These devices will be the first Apple laptops with a touchscreen, which is a significant step as this feature has long become standard among competitors.

The integration of touch control will allow macOS users to utilize various new gestures previously only available in iPadOS and iOS. Simultaneously, the new tandem OLED displays will significantly improve visual quality, providing higher contrast, more accurate color reproduction, and better energy efficiency.

Despite early reports of a thinner chassis, recent leaks indicate that the overall profile of the devices will remain similar, although the laptops themselves are expected to be noticeably lighter. The design will finally eliminate the controversial camera cutout in favor of the Dynamic Island, which has been present on flagship iPhones since the release of the iPhone 14 Pro series in September 2022.

Under the hood, the laptops will retain familiar chips: high-performance models in 14 and 16 inches will continue to run on the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors introduced earlier this year. However, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro will receive a new base M6 chip, replacing the M5 model released a year ago. Furthermore, the 24-inch iMac will also see a performance boost by switching to the M6 processor.

The iPad mini will undergo a major upgrade. This compact tablet will be equipped with an OLED panel similar to the latest generation of iPad Pro, although there are disagreements about whether the screen will be a standard 60Hz or a 120Hz ProMotion display. There will also be a noticeable change in the industrial design of the iPad mini: it will switch to an innovative system of vibration speakers that generates sound directly through the chassis.

The improvement in screen quality alone makes the new iPad mini a worthy upgrade for consumers.