Reviews of the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display are out. Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook combines a tandem OLED panel with a lighter design. The reviews below come from eight outlets. The laptop goes on sale on 6 November, with the 14-inch model starting at £2,899 in the UK.
What the reviewers say
Six Colors (Jason Snell)
Jason Snell is highly impressed by the OLED display, the Dynamic Island and the weight reduction, calling the redesign significant. He sees the touchscreen as a momentous addition but not the key selling point.
“The Dynamic Island serves a purpose and the MacBook Pro is better for it.”
“It’s a design choice that deserves to be celebrated.”
Engadget (Devindra Hardawar)
Devindra Hardawar finds the touchscreen the least interesting aspect of an otherwise excellent redesign, praising the lighter weight and OLED screen but noting the high price.
“The least interesting thing about Apple’s new touchscreen MacBook Pro is the touchscreen.”
“It’s a notable evolution of the MacBook Pro at a much higher price.”
WIRED (Luke Larsen)
Luke Larsen loves the OLED screen and the return of the glowing Apple logo, but finds the touchscreen unnecessary in daily use. He calls the HDR performance the best he has seen on a laptop.
“I’ve never seen HDR like this on a laptop”
Tom’s Hardware (Andrew E. Freedman)
Andrew E. Freedman praises the best laptop screen he has ever seen, the lighter weight and the Dynamic Island, while noting the high cost as a barrier.
Les Numériques (Diogo Ribeiro)
Diogo Ribeiro is enthusiastic about the OLED display, audio quality and performance, but points out the high price and fingerprint-prone chassis.
“C’est simple : la fidélité de la restitution sonore est au top”
CNET (Lori Grunin)
Lori Grunin says the MacBook Pro is on the way to one of her highest ratings, lauding the display accuracy, touchscreen implementation and audio improvements, despite the cost. Her review is still in progress.
“I already think it’s on the way to earning the highest rating I remember giving to a laptop”
“The screen lives up to its billing”
Trusted Reviews (Max Parker)
Max Parker offers first impressions that are very positive about the OLED panel, but notes that macOS hasn’t changed much for touch and that the feature may take time to adopt.
“The addition of touch isn’t the only display upgrade”
Notebookcheck (Andreas Osthoff)
Andreas Osthoff describes the OLED panel as stunning and the best on a laptop, but criticises the insufficient power supply, louder fans and lack of keyboard improvement.
“The image quality is simply stunning and it is the best laptop display you can currently get.”
“The other problem is also familiar, because the power supply is once again insufficient.”
Where reviewers agree
Reviewers broadly praise the tandem OLED display for its brightness, contrast and colour accuracy, and several call it the best laptop screen available. The weight reduction is welcomed, the Dynamic Island is seen as an improvement over the notch, and the speakers draw praise for deeper bass. Every outlet remarks on the high price.
Where they disagree
Opinions diverge on the touchscreen: Six Colors views it as a significant step for the Mac, while Engadget and WIRED consider it the least useful new feature in daily use. Notebookcheck and Les Numériques highlight quirks such as the power supply, fan noise and a chassis that shows fingerprints, which other reviewers do not emphasise. CNET is more positive about the touch implementation, finding it handy for certain tasks.
The takeaway
Taken together, the verdict is clear on the screen and the lighter body, and split on touch. Price is the common caveat. See our earlier coverage of the launch for UK pricing and availability.