New MacBook Pro Launch: M6 and Touchscreen Models, Specs, Prices and Why They're Better

Apple just wrapped up a big two-day Mac launch, and it changes the MacBook Pro lineup in a way we haven't seen in years. On October 27 the company introduced a refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M6 chip, and on October 28 it followed with the first touchscreen MacBook Pro, built around a new OLED-based PROLED XDR display. Both go on sale on November 6.

Here's a clear breakdown of what's new, what each model costs, why they're better than what came before, and which one makes sense for you.

At a glance

Model	Chip	Display	Starts at (US)	Pre-order	Available
14-inch MacBook Pro	M6	Liquid Retina XDR	$1,999	October 28	November 6
14-inch Touchscreen MacBook Pro	M5 Pro / M5 Max	PROLED XDR (touch)	$2,899	October 30	November 6
16-inch Touchscreen MacBook Pro	M5 Pro / M5 Max	PROLED XDR (touch)	$3,399	October 30	November 6

14-inch MacBook Pro with M6: what's new

This is the value pick of the launch. It keeps the design people already like and upgrades the chip, wireless and battery.

• M6 chip: a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU (two more cores each than before), plus a dual 16-core Neural Engine and Neural Accelerators built into every GPU core.
• Faster than M5: Apple claims up to 30% faster graphics and up to 25% faster on-device AI workloads, with the Neural Engine up to 1.9x faster.
• Memory: 16GB of unified memory as standard, configurable up to 32GB, with bandwidth up to 170GB/s.
• Battery: up to 24 hours, which Apple calls the longest ever in a Mac, with fast charging to 50% in 30 minutes using a compatible higher-wattage adapter such as the 96W one.
• Display: Liquid Retina XDR with up to 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and an optional nano-texture finish to cut glare.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, MagSafe 3, an SDXC card slot and a headphone jack. It supports up to two external displays.
• Camera and audio: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, a three-mic array and a six-speaker system with Spatial Audio.
• Colors: space black and silver.
• Software: ships with macOS 27, including the new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features.

The touchscreen MacBook Pro: Apple's biggest redesign in years

After years of saying no to touch on the Mac, Apple has finally done it. The touchscreen MacBook Pro comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes and is aimed squarely at creative professionals.

• PROLED XDR display: a new OLED-based screen with up to 2,000 nits peak brightness for both HDR and SDR content and a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
• Touch, done properly: Apple designed a new hinge that keeps the screen steady when you tap or swipe, which also helps keep the camera stable on video calls.
• Dynamic Island: the camera notch is replaced by an iPhone-style Dynamic Island cutout.
• Pro-grade power: M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options, up to 128GB of unified memory and up to 16TB of storage.
• Ports: three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe and a headphone jack. You can run three external displays on M5 Pro and up to four on M5 Max.
• Sound: a six-speaker array with a redesigned woofer.
• Lighter build: reports ahead of the launch said it would be significantly lighter than the current models. Check Apple's spec page for the exact weight and battery figures for your size.

Prices and availability

• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6: from $1,999, or $1,899 with education pricing. Pre-orders opened October 28 in 35 countries and regions, and units arrive from November 6. Apple's lease program starts at $38.99 per month over 36 months in the US.
• Touchscreen MacBook Pro 14-inch: from $2,899.
• Touchscreen MacBook Pro 16-inch: from $3,399. Fully loaded configurations climb far higher, with some reports putting the top-end price above $14,000.
• Touchscreen pre-orders start October 30, with availability from November 6.

All prices above are US launch prices. Local pricing and availability vary by country, so check your regional Apple Store before you order.

Why the new MacBook Pros are better

If you're upgrading from an older Mac

The M6 model is a big jump for anyone on an M1 or Intel MacBook. Apple's own comparisons against the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro show up to 11x faster graphics, up to 13x faster AI performance, up to 11.7x faster ray-traced rendering in Blender and up to 2.5x faster code builds in Xcode. Battery life also improves, with up to four more hours than M1 and up to 14 more hours than Intel models. M1 and Intel upgraders also get 16GB of starting memory, an extra Thunderbolt port and a space black finish designed to show fewer fingerprints.

If you already have an M5 MacBook Pro

The gains are smaller but real: roughly 1.2x to 1.3x in Apple's benchmarks for Blender, Xcode, Affinity and LLM prompt processing, plus faster Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through Apple's N1 wireless chip. Most M5 owners can comfortably wait.

If you work with color, video or design

The touchscreen model is the real step up. OLED-class contrast, 2,000 nits of brightness and direct touch input change how you grade footage, retouch photos or sketch on screen. It's a different kind of Mac, not just a faster one.

On-device AI

Both lines are built for the AI era. The M6's added Neural Accelerators and faster Neural Engine are meant to speed up local LLMs, image generation and AI upscaling, while macOS 27 brings the new Siri AI into Spotlight, context menus and everyday apps.

Pros and cons

Pros

• M6 delivers faster CPU, GPU and AI performance, starting at $1,999 ($1,899 with education pricing).
• Up to 24 hours of battery life on the 14-inch M6 model.
• Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 across the new M6 model.
• The first touchscreen Mac, with an OLED-based display, Dynamic Island and a purpose-built hinge.
• Generous ports on every model, including HDMI, an SD card slot and MagSafe.
• Enclosure made from 100% recycled aluminum.

Cons

• The touchscreen models start at $2,899 and can get very expensive when configured with maximum memory and storage.
• The touchscreen MacBook Pro uses M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than M6, so its processor generation is a step behind the cheaper 14-inch M6 model.
• The 14-inch M6 supports up to two external displays and tops out at 32GB of memory.
• Some Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features are in beta, rely on server-side models and have daily usage limits. Siri AI is not available in every region.

Which one should you buy?

• Students, business users and everyday pros: the 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro at $1,999 is the sweet spot.
• Developers and AI tinkerers: the M6's extra Neural Accelerators and 32GB option are a strong fit, unless you need more memory than that.
• Video editors, photographers and designers: the touchscreen MacBook Pro, if the price fits your budget.
• M5 owners: probably skip this round unless you want touch.