Apple releases MacBook Pro with touchscreen and M5 chips

Apple has announced its latest iteration of the MacBook Pro, marking the first time the company has integrated a touchscreen interface into its professional laptop line. The new models, equipped with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, are designed to support local processing of large language models with hundreds of billions of parameters.

The hardware updates center on increased memory capacity, with the M5 Max configuration supporting up to 128GB of unified memory. By enabling local AI inference, the company aims to provide professional users, such as 3D artists and software developers, with the ability to execute complex AI tasks without relying on cloud-based processing.

Beyond performance, the shift to local model execution is positioned as a measure to enhance data privacy. Sensitive workflows involving proprietary code or internal documentation can now remain entirely on the device, mitigating the need for data transmission to third-party servers. The devices also feature a new PROLED XDR display panel.

Pre-orders for the devices begin on October 30, with general availability scheduled for November 6. In the Chinese market, pricing starts at 22,999 yuan for the 14-inch model and 27,999 yuan for the 16-inch version.