After years of insisting that laptops don’t need touchscreens, Apple has finally changed its tune. I recently got to try the company’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro at an event in Hollywood.
The new MacBook Pro comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, with an OLED display that delivers brighter highlights, deeper blacks and better contrast. Looking at photos of a night sky, I could make out individual stars and neon lights that might look like a murky mess on other screens.
But the big change is touch. You can now tap, swipe, pinch to zoom and interact with your Mac just like you would an iPhone or iPad.
I don’t think touch will replace the keyboard or trackpad anytime soon, nor should it. But there are plenty of moments when reaching up and tapping something on the screen feels easier - like zooming into a photo, closing out a window or stretching out an editing timeline.
Apple also brought back a fun feature from the past: the lit up Apple logo on the back of the laptop. This time, its brightness adjusts along with the screen.
Beyond the new computers, Apple used the Hollywood event to demonstrate how its technology is changing industries like filmmaking and fashion.
One demonstration showed how iPhones and Macs can create virtual movie sets. Another used nine iPhones to capture a real person and turn them into a moving 3D image. These are techniques that once required expensive, specialized equipment.
I also checked out Apple’s updated 24-inch iMac, now powered by the M6 chip, with faster wireless connectivity and memory. Interestingly, the iMac still doesn’t have a touchscreen.
The iPad mini got a significant makeover, too. It’s thinner and lighter, with a slightly larger OLED display, an optional matte finish to reduce glare and, for the first time, water and dust resistance. That makes it a little more practical for everyday adventures, including trips to the pool.
Of course, all this new technology comes at a price. The touchscreen MacBook Pro starts at $2,900, while the updated iPad mini starts at $699.
Apple has been on quite a product launch streak lately, introducing its first foldable iPhone, new computers and smart home gadgets.
My biggest takeaway from the event is that Apple continues to push its hardware forward, but the prices are getting harder to ignore. As impressive as these new devices are, I think many people are sticking with what they have until they’re forced to make an upgrade.