New MacBooks mark Apple's return to high-end laptops in age of the tablet

After a long period as a mid-market manufacturer, rapid shift signals a reaction to the changing shape of the PC market

Apple released its latest laptops on Thursday, a new range of computers to replace the ageing range of Retina MacBook Pros. They are thinner and lighter than their predecessors, with a new touch bar at the top of the keyboard and a fingerprint sensor replacing the power button.

They are 750 more than the machines they replace were - though their price has also gone up. The larger of the two new MacBook Pros, the 15in with Touch Bar, is the first laptop the company has released with a starting price of more than 2,000 for more than a decade: it begins at an eye-watering 2,349, with build-to-order options taking it well north of 4,000.