Apple’s touchscreen MacBook Pro hits $14,549

Apple’s new MacBook Pro starts at $2,899, but storage, memory, and display upgrades push the fully loaded 16-inch model far higher.

Apple has officially added touchscreen support to the MacBook Pro, and the new model comes with a price that is hard to miss. The laptop starts at $2,899, but the total climbs quickly once buyers add more storage, memory, and display options. At the top end, Apple’s configurator lists a fully loaded 16-inch version at $14,549.

That makes the launch notable for two reasons at once. Apple is changing course on a long-standing part of the MacBook Pro design, and it is doing so with a machine that becomes dramatically more expensive in its highest configurations. For many buyers, the result looks less like a mainstream laptop and more like an example of just how far premium hardware pricing can go.

Apple’s priciest MacBook Pro configuration yet

According to MacRumors, Apple’s configurator prices the fully loaded 14-inch model at $14,249 and the 16-inch model at $14,549. Both versions use Apple’s top-tier M5 Max chip, with an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU.

That puts the new MacBook Pro in a very different category from its base version. A starting price of $2,899 is already high, but the bigger talking point is the cost of the maximum configuration, which pushes the laptop well beyond what most consumers would consider spending.

Apple hasn’t just added a touchscreen and left the old pricing structure in place. As IT-PUB News notes, the new model shows how quickly the total can rise when Apple’s most powerful hardware options are added.

Storage and memory upgrades push the total up fast

Much of the final price comes from the upgrade path. Apple charges an extra $1,000 for a 4TB SSD. Moving to 8TB adds another $3,000, while the new 16TB option costs an additional $7,000.

Memory upgrades are costly too. Adding 128GB of memory costs another $2,000, and nano-texture glass adds $150.

The source points to two broader pressures behind the pricing: the ongoing memory shortage and AI’s heavy demand for hardware. Apple does not explain the full pricing structure in the source, but the outcome is clear enough. The more storage and memory a buyer wants, the faster the bill grows.

For businesses and professionals that depend on high-end laptops, that matters. For everyday buyers, it underlines how wide the gap has become between standard consumer devices and heavily upgraded machines.

Apple reverses course with a touchscreen MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro stands out for more than its price. It also marks a significant shift in Apple’s laptop strategy. The company experimented with the Touch Bar nearly a decade ago, then later dropped it. Now Apple is moving in the opposite direction by embracing a touchscreen MacBook Pro.

That makes this more than a routine hardware refresh. It suggests Apple is willing to rethink one of the most familiar parts of its laptop lineup after years of keeping touch input out of the MacBook Pro.

The source does not say how Apple expects users to work with the touchscreen or whether the feature changes the laptop’s broader role. Even so, the move is notable because it shows Apple returning to an idea it once left behind.

Preorders open October 30 ahead of November 6 launch

Apple will open preorders on October 30, with availability starting November 6.

Buyers will not have to wait long for the new model to reach the market. Early attention is likely to center on two things: whether a touchscreen MacBook Pro feels compelling enough, and how far Apple’s upgrade pricing now stretches.

For now, the new MacBook Pro is attracting attention not because it is within easy reach for most shoppers, but because it shows where the premium laptop market is moving. Touchscreen hardware, powerful chips, and steep upgrade costs all come together in one of Apple’s most expensive MacBooks to date.