Apple Changes Course Under New CEO John Ternus: What’s Different
Apple is beginning to change its business approach under new CEO John Ternus. The US technology giant has finally launched its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, abandoning a position it held for years against the technology.
Apple unveiled the MacBook Pro with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display at an event in Los Angeles. It also announced the return of the illuminated logo on the back of the laptop.
The launch is part of a series of new products introduced since Ternus, a longtime Apple hardware executive, took over as chief executive in early September. Apple previously launched the foldable iPhone Duo in September and a smart-home control hub in New York in October.
“Look, we love the Mac, and that’s why so many of us found our way to Apple in the first place. And the Mac has never been better or more powerful than it is now,” Ternus said, according to Reuters on Sunday (1 November 2026).
The decision to introduce a touchscreen marks a shift in Apple’s approach. In 2010, Apple founder Steve Jobs described touchscreens on laptops as ergonomically poor. Two years later, CEO Tim Cook compared combining a laptop with a touchscreen to putting a toaster and a refrigerator together.
Windows laptops, however, have offered touchscreens for more than a decade. Anshel Sag, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said the change was inevitable.
“I believe they were wrong from the start to reject touchscreen technology, and now reality is forcing that change to happen. Some things are simply unavoidable,” Sag said.
The touchscreen MacBook Pro starts at US$2,899 for the 14-inch model with an M5 Pro chip. The 16-inch model with an M5 Max chip starts at US$4,799. Apple opened pre-orders on 28 October and plans to begin sales on 6 November 2026.
IDC’s head of device and consumer research, Tom Mainelli, said the laptop is aimed at creators, designers and photographers who need a high-quality display and are accustomed to using touchscreen devices.
Apple has also redesigned the chassis to direct hot air away from the display and is using its M5 chip to reduce the risk of burn-in — permanent image retention on OLED screens.
Price remains a challenge. IDC recorded global shipments of 33.4 million touchscreen laptops in 2025, up 22% from the previous year and equivalent to 16% of total laptop shipments. Their average selling price was about US$1,009, or Rp17 million, far below that of the latest MacBook Pro.
Rivals such as Lenovo, HP and Dell also offer more affordable devices. Even so, Apple’s expanded product range and price bands suggest Ternus is seeking to reach more price-sensitive consumers while retaining premium customers.