Description
Get the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display: https://geni.us/proled
iPad mini (2026) Review: https://youtu.be/TRADArLi_5E
The OLED MacBook Pro costs $400 more than the matching non-OLED model. After a week with it, I'd pay that difference for the display alone. In this MacBook Pro review, I explain what makes Apple's PROLED XDR screen so good, where the touchscreen earns its place, and who should keep the $400.
I've been using the 16-inch M5 Max model with 128GB of memory and an 8TB SSD. The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are the same ones available in the non-OLED MacBook Pro, so the decision comes down to the experience around them. The 16-inch model drops from about 4.7 pounds to four, the speakers have more depth, and the glowing Apple logo is back. That last one contributes precisely nothing to getting work done. I'm happy to see it anyway.
The tandem OLED display is the part I'd have the hardest time giving back. Bright highlights sit against properly black backgrounds, without the glow around them that can show up on a backlit display. There are practical reasons to care, too: Adobe RGB support, built-in reference modes, and Genlock give photographers, designers, and production crews more to consider than a good-looking movie. I go through what those features are for and why they change the conversation about this screen.
Touch has a smaller, useful role. iPhone and iPad apps feel more at home, iPhone Mirroring lets you tap and swipe directly, and developers can interact with their apps in Apple's simulator. I also cover the Dynamic Island, the hinge, camera stabilization during taps, and a speaker upgrade that matters when the lid is closed. There are a surprising number of details here for a computer that still looks so familiar.
If speed is your priority, the non-OLED MacBook Pro remains an excellent way to save $400 at the same configuration. My preference is the OLED model, because the screen, lower weight, and better sound are things I appreciate whenever I use it. This review walks through that choice, including the places where touch helps and the reasons I'd want this MacBook even if I never touched the display.
CHAPTERS
00:00 - MacBook Pro OLED Review
01:55 - MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display Design Changes
04:24 - The PROLED XDR Display is Incredible
07:31 - Using the MacBook Pro Touchscreen Display
09:52 - MacBook ProLED XDR New Speakers
10:40 - MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display M5 Pro and Max Chip Performance
11:59 - Is the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display Worth It?
#apple #macbookpro #oled @Apple
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