Apple has introduced new MacBook Pros with OLED displays and touch controls – two features that appear for the first time in the series. The laptops will be sold alongside existing models, and pre-orders begin on October 28, while sales begin on November 6.
“The new MacBook Pro is a monumental step forward for Mac“, said Johnny Sruijie, Apple's chief hardware officer. According to him, the combination of Tandem OLED technology, touch controls, and the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips creates a new way to work with professional content.
The main change is the display, which Apple calls PROLED XDR. The panel uses Tandem OLED technology – two layered OLED screens that increase light output. The maximum brightness reaches 2000 nits, and the constant is 1000 nits. The screen supports a variable refresh rate between 10 and 120 Hz and covers the P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces. This makes it suitable for tasks such as photo editing, video and graphic design. Touch control comes to the Mac for the first time. Apple presents it as an additional way to work with content and projects in applications, and not as a replacement for the keyboard and trackpad. macOS has not been completely redesigned for work only by touch. The notch at the top of the display has been replaced with Dynamic Island, but the MacBook Pro does not receive Face ID. Secure authentication continues to be carried out via Touch ID.
The new variants are a few millimeters smaller in every dimension and weigh about 200-300 grams less depending on the model. The internal thermal design has been redesigned, with hot air being directed away from the display. The illuminated Apple logo returns on the lid. The audio system retains the six speakers, but gets new woofers and tweeters. The company says the bass is 50 percent deeper, and the redesign allows for good sound even with the lid closed.
In other basic parameters, the new laptops are close to the standard MacBook Pro. They use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the same memory capabilities, the same connectivity and the same battery life. The main choice for buyers is between a non-touch LCD display and an OLED screen with touch control. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro starts at $ 2,899, and the 16-inch model with this chip - from $ 3,399. The versions with the M5 Max cost $ 4,499 and $ 4,799, respectively.