Apple Prices Fully Loaded Touchscreen MacBook Pro at $14,549

Apple's new touchscreen MacBook Pro starts at $2,899, but a fully configured unit can reach $14,549, according to figures Apple's online configurator shows, as reported by TechCrunch. TechCrunch says MacRumors first surfaced the top-end pricing.

What does a fully loaded model actually cost?

The configurator prices the maxed-out 14-inch touchscreen MacBook Pro at $14,249 and the 16-inch version at $14,549, per TechCrunch's review of Apple's build-to-order options. Both top configurations ship with Apple's M5 Max chip, built with an 18-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, TechCrunch reports.

The jump from base price to ceiling price comes from stacked storage and memory upgrades. Moving from the base storage to a 4TB solid-state drive adds $1,000, TechCrunch reports. Stepping up to 8TB adds $3,000, and the new 16TB storage tier adds $7,000 on top of the base price. A 128GB memory upgrade costs another $2,000, and nano-texture glass — an anti-glare display option — adds $150, according to the same report.

"The new model raises that ceiling by a whopping $4,400." — TechCrunch

What is driving the price increase?

TechCrunch attributes part of the pricing pressure to an ongoing memory shortage combined with what it describes as AI's "seemingly endless appetite for hardware." The outlet does not cite a specific Apple statement explaining the increase, and Apple has not issued a public comment on the configurator pricing beyond the product listing itself. The report frames the storage and memory surcharges — not the base price — as the primary driver of the record ceiling, since the entry-level touchscreen MacBook Pro at $2,899 is in line with prior MacBook Pro starting prices.

How does this compare with the previous MacBook Pro's top price?

The prior-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro topped out at $10,149, according to TechCrunch. The new touchscreen model's $14,549 ceiling is $4,400 higher. That increase reflects the new 16TB storage tier and the 128GB memory option, both of which did not exist as configurator choices on the previous model lineup, based on the pricing TechCrunch lists. TechCrunch did not report whether the base specifications — processor tier, display, or starting storage — changed enough on their own to account for the higher ceiling, suggesting the added high-end configuration options are doing most of the work.

What is new about the touchscreen itself?

The touchscreen MacBook Pro marks what TechCrunch calls a significant shift for Apple, arriving nearly a decade after the company first experimented with the Touch Bar, a narrow touch-sensitive strip above the keyboard that Apple introduced and later discontinued. TechCrunch's report does not detail the touchscreen's technical specifications — such as resolution, glass type beyond the optional nano-texture finish, or input methods — focusing instead on pricing. The report does note that Apple is now embracing full touchscreen functionality on the MacBook Pro display after retreating from the Touch Bar experiment.

When can buyers order it, and what comes with the base model?

Preorders open October 30, with availability beginning November 6, according to TechCrunch. The report does not specify the base-model memory or storage allocation that ships at the $2,899 starting price, nor does it list pricing for configurations between the entry point and the fully loaded tiers. Buyers weighing a purchase will see the full matrix of options — chip tier, storage, memory, and display finish — inside Apple's own configurator once preorders begin.

TechCrunch's reporting does not include comment from Apple on the pricing structure, and the company has not published a separate statement addressing the configurator totals as of publication. The piece also does not specify whether the new touchscreen MacBook Pro replaces the standard MacBook Pro lineup or will be sold alongside a non-touchscreen version, leaving that detail for Apple's own product pages once preorders open.

Does the pricing apply to other Apple MacBook Pro models?

TechCrunch's report focuses solely on the touchscreen 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations and their configurator ceilings. In separate coverage listed alongside the pricing story, TechCrunch notes Apple has also introduced a 14-inch MacBook Pro built around an M6 chip, a report credited to TechCrunch's Aisha Malik. The pricing story under review does not explain how that M6-based model relates to the touchscreen M5 Max lineup, whether it shares the same storage and memory surcharges, or if it is positioned as a lower-cost alternative. Apple's own product pages, rather than TechCrunch's brief, would be the source for those configuration-by-configuration comparisons.