Apple has finally introduced a touchscreen MacBook, but after spending time with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro featuring its PROLED XDR Display, I found that the touch functionality isn’t necessarily its biggest achievement.
The touchscreen works well enough, but macOS still feels primarily designed for a keyboard and trackpad. What makes this laptop genuinely impressive is its vibrant tandem OLED display, remarkable battery endurance, and powerful performance.
Apple has retained the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors rather than introducing an M6 version with this particular display. That means the performance is impressive but not entirely new. For creative professionals who need serious computing power and excellent screen quality, however, this MacBook Pro is an outstanding machine. Its premium specifications and price will be excessive for many everyday users.
A comparison of the Mini-LED screen of previous MacBooks on the left, with the PROLED XDR Display on the right. Both at 100% brightness (Image credit: Future)
Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display: At a Glance
The latest MacBook Pro is Apple’s flagship workstation laptop, designed for demanding professional workloads. Its biggest upgrade is the move from mini-LED technology to a tandem OLED display, branded PROLED XDR. It also marks the first time Apple has brought touchscreen functionality to a MacBook.
The laptop comes in 14-inch and 16-inch configurations. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899 / £2,899 / AU$4,599, while the 16-inch version begins at $3,399 / £3,399 / AU$5,499. Both entry-level configurations include 24GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage, with the M5 Pro processor.
Customers can configure either model with an M5 Max chip, up to 128GB of unified memory, and as much as 16TB of storage. However, upgrading the specifications can push the price considerably higher.
(Image credit: Future)
Review highlights
What works well:
- Exceptionally vibrant OLED display
- Outstanding battery life
- Excellent processing and graphics performance
What could be better:
- Touchscreen integration feels unfinished in places
- Extremely expensive, particularly at higher configurations
Value for Money
The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display occupies the premium end of Apple’s laptop range. Prices begin at $2,899 / £2,899 / AU$4,599 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 / £3,399 / AU$5,499 for the 16-inch version. A fully upgraded configuration can reach an astonishing $14,549 / £14,549 / AU$22,424.
Whether the investment makes sense depends largely on the work you intend to do. Anyone looking for a laptop for everyday browsing, office tasks, and general productivity would be better served by a MacBook Air with an M5 chip. Even professi