Apple’s Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Every Detail Indians Need To Know

Apple has announced two new MacBook Pro models this week, bringing a new M6 chip to its 14-inch laptop and introducing a major display upgrade with touchscreen support on the Mac for the first time. The announcements, made on October 27 and 28, target different sets of users, with the new M6 MacBook Pro starting at Rs 2,39,900 in India and the premium display-equipped models starting at Rs 3,49,900.

The new launches come with improvements to performance, battery life and connectivity. However, the more significant change is Apple’s decision to introduce touch interaction on its professional laptops, a feature that has long been available on competing Windows devices.

MacBook Pro Gets The New M6 Chip

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro is powered by Apple’s M6 chip, featuring a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU. Apple claims the new GPU delivers up to 30% faster graphics performance and up to 25% faster AI workloads compared with the previous-generation M5 chip.

The laptop also comes with a 16-core Neural Engine, designed to handle AI tasks locally on the device. This could benefit users working with AI-powered applications, image processing tools and large language models without having to rely entirely on cloud-based services.

Battery life is another major selling point, with Apple claiming up to 24 hours on a single charge. The laptop also supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, while retaining the Liquid Retina XDR display. Other features include a 12MP Center Stage camera, a six-speaker sound system and multiple connectivity options.

The M6 MacBook Pro is priced at Rs 2,39,900 in India, with pre-orders beginning on October 28. Availability is scheduled to begin on November 6.

Apple Introduces Touchscreen MacBook Pro

The second announcement is arguably the bigger development. Apple’s new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature a display called PROLED XDR, based on tandem OLED technology.

Apple claims the display offers peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits, a contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1 and a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The display also supports both P3 and Adobe RGB colour gamuts, targeting professionals who work with photography, video editing and colour-sensitive content.

For the first time, users can interact directly with a MacBook Pro’s display through touch. Apple has also brought Dynamic Island to the Mac, using it for features such as Spotlight, Live Activities and Siri AI.

These models run on the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than the new M6. They support up to 128GB of unified memory and up to 16TB of storage, while adding Thunderbolt 5 connectivity and support for multiple external displays.

In India, the 14-inch M5 Pro version starts at Rs 3,49,900, while the 16-inch version costs Rs 4,09,900. The M5 Max variants start at Rs 5,49,900 and Rs 5,89,900, respectively. Pre-orders began on October 28, with availability scheduled for November 6.

Which MacBook Pro Makes More Sense?

The two launches serve different purposes. The M6 model offers Apple’s newer standard chip at a comparatively lower price, making it an option for developers, professionals and creators who need substantial computing power.

The PROLED XDR models, meanwhile, focus on display quality, touch interaction and higher-end configurations. For professionals working extensively with video, photography and design, these upgrades could be more important than the processor generation itself.

With prices starting at Rs 2.39 lakh, neither announcement is aimed at budget-conscious buyers. The real question is whether the new display and touchscreen experience justify the substantial premium over the M6 MacBook Pro.