ItInsightsWorld General: Apple May Test Premium Touchscreen MacBook Pro at $2,899 for 14-inch
A $2,000-or-more foldable iPhone may set the benchmark, Bloomberg News reported this month, and Apple is said to be preparing a notebook price test tied to Wednesday’s Pro and Tell event in Los Angeles, using 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with OLED XDR and Dynamic Island.
The accompanying image shows the current 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Price tiers added to the lineup
At Pro and Tell, Apple plans to launch new high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations and to add more expensive models above the current lineup. The starting price is expected to reach a new high because the two features, an OLED XDR touch display and Dynamic Island design, are arriving on Mac for the first time.
14-inch M5 Pro pricing signal
A person familiar with the matter said Apple has discussed pricing the M5 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro at $2,899. That would be $400 higher than the current M5 Pro model released this March and later repriced in June.
16-inch and non-touch comparison
The existing 16-inch MacBook Pro without a touchscreen starts at $2,999, so the new version would be priced at no less than $3,399. In theory, the larger size could carry a bigger premium than the smaller size. Apple plans to continue selling non-touch versions as the new models go on sale.
Price positioning in one view
| Item | Reported context |
|---|---|
| 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro | Discussed at $2,899, $400 above the current M5 Pro model introduced this March and repriced in June |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro without touch | Current $2,999 start; new version at least $3,399 |
| Historical starting-price reference | A $2,899 14-inch start would top the 2006 17-inch model’s $2,799 opening price |
| Touchscreen-laptop market | Could place Apple among the most expensive makers, near Dell’s high-end OLED-equipped products |
Audience and comment
Apple will market the notebook directly to content creators, influencers and professional media editors at the Los Angeles presentation, because it believes these groups form the main target audience for the new MacBook Pro. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment as of publication.