First Hands-On with MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display Reveals Vivid Colors and Noticeably Lighter Weight

Journalists at the Los Angeles event today lifted the lid on Apple’s new MacBook Pro and immediately felt the weight drop before the screen even lit up. The 14-inch model comes in at three pounds, half a pound lighter than the previous version, while the 16-inch version sits at four pounds. In the hand it feels closer to a thinner machine, and several people noted that the difference shows up right away when the laptop goes into a bag.

When the display came to life, some observers were astounded by the PROLED XDR, a fancy OLED tandem screen. Its brightness is steady at 1,000 nits across the screen, although it can reach 2,000 nits for both normal content and fancy HDR. As a result, numerous people had to quickly modify the camera settings to avoid overexposure. Meanwhile, the blacks remain pitch black, with no glow creeping in around text or menu components, thanks to a stunning contrast ratio of 10,000,000 to one. This new screen brings out colors even more vividly than current mini-LED versions, and it’s the first time we’ve seen a MacBook Pro that supports both the P3 and Adobe RGB color ranges at the same time. When it comes to photo and video editing, the difference is clear, However, when it comes to everyday browsing and online sites, you may not notice it as much, but there is one significant difference: dark areas and bright highlights appear far more lifelike than they did previously.

Touch input is now available for the first time on a MacBook Pro, and it’s refreshing to use, as responsive as an iPad. The sensor is really incorporated in the screen, so there is no lag when you tap away. Pinch to zoom, drag a window to the edge to enlarge it, and swipe with three fingers all operate seamlessly. The screen’s hinge is sturdy enough that it does not jiggle when tapped during a video conference. They’ve also applied an oleophobic coating to keep finger prints at bay, but you may still see a few in low light. Software will automatically translate those touch inputs into clicks, so all of your existing programs will continue to function normally; you will only see a large close button on your windows that expands when a finger approaches it. Most users discovered that the keyboard and trackpad are still the preferred tools for most tasks, but they do welcome the occasional touch input for speedy scrolling, accessibility zoom, or, amusingly, checking out iPhone apps right there on the larger screen.

Now, let’s talk about the Dynamic Island. The previous notch is gone, and in its place is a little hole-punch cutout for a 12-megapixel camera, which is where the magic happens. The Dynamic Island manages music controls, Live Activities, the search function, and even Siri prompts. Simply tap on the island to make it disappear or expand the appropriate information on the screen. The Apple logo also makes a triumphant comeback on the lid, and it puts on a show, lighting up when the laptop is opened and dimming in time with the screen. The keyboard, trackpad, and connectors remain unchanged, and most critics believe this is a good thing, a bit of continuity rather than a minor concession.

The 14 and 16-inch variants are priced at $2,899 and $3,399, respectively, which is approximately $400 more than the current non-OLED MacBook Pro with the same M5 Pro and M5 Max CPUs. If you choose one of the top models with 128 GB of RAM and a large storage drive, you can expect to pay well over $10,000. The battery life is rated at 24 hours, however these laptops will ship on November 6th. The feedback so far from early hands-on has left most people pretty convinced that the improved screen quality and reduced weight are the key upgrades here, as the value of that touch input remains a question mark for the time being, and it’ll take a little more time to figure out its true worth once people get their hands on one.