Fully loaded touchscreen MacBook Pro priced at $14,549

Apple has entered the touchscreen MacBook Pro era with a laptop line that reaches a new price ceiling. The new touchscreen MacBook Pro starts at $2,899. A fully upgraded model costs around $14,549.

As MacRumors first reported, Apple’s configurator prices the fully loaded 14-inch model at $14,249 and the 16-inch version at $14,549. Both come with Apple’s top-tier M5 Max chip, featuring an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU.

The pricing pressure is partly down to the ongoing memory shortage and AI’s appetite for hardware, according to the report. Upgrades add to the cost:

• A 4TB SSD costs an additional $1,000.
• An 8TB SSD adds $3,000.
• The new 16TB option adds another $7,000.
• 128GB of memory costs another $2,000.
• Nano-texture glass adds $150.

For comparison, the previous 16-inch MacBook Pro topped out at $10,149. The new model raises that ceiling by $4,400.

The launch marks a significant shift for Apple, nearly a decade after it first experimented with the Touch Bar. The company eventually abandoned that feature, but now it is embracing a touchscreen MacBook Pro. Preorders open October 30, with availability beginning November 6.