MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display
Apple today introduced the all-new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, featuring breakthrough tandem OLED technology that delivers game-changing front-of-screen performance. Available in 14- and 16-inch models, MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display offers a visual experience unlike any other, transforming pro workflows with up to 2000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness, an industry-leading 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio for exceptional detail, a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and a wider color gamut covering both P3 and Adobe RGB for brilliant colors. The new MacBook Pro also introduces intuitive Touch capabilities on the Mac for the first time, opening up a whole new dimension for pros to interact with their content, from manipulating 3D models to playing musical instruments onscreen.
It’s funny that Apple chose to capitalise “Touch” in its marketing copy for the new MacBook Pro, when the actual product approach for touch is very much lowercase; the feature is so understated that a user could easily ignore it entirely. The macOS UI is essentially unchanged, and the form factor of the laptop remains the same too.
On the Mac, touch is presented as a harmless add-on that meets user expectations without disrupting the workflows of professionals. I think they made the right choice. Of course, everything has a tradeoff. By not redesigning the UI in any significant manner, the experience of using touch in Mac apps will be worse than their iOS counterparts. There will be more accidental inputs, more repeated taps to make sure your finger has hit the right thing, and plenty of screens across the operating system where touch input is wholly impractical.
It’s not ideal, but it’s fine. Unless Apple starts making new Mac hardware designs that bring the display forward, such that the ergonomics invite users to touch the screen more frequently, they don’t need to do anything more on the software side. Users who have grown up on iPads and iPhones want to tap and swipe their Mac screen sometimes, and this lets them do just that. I expect Apple will bring touchscreens to the MacBook Air and MacBook Neo in due course. In 2026, touch is a commodity, in all senses.