MacBook Pro PROLED XDR review: buy it for the OLED, not touch
Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro starts at €3,299, but the Tandem OLED display, not touch, is the reason to buy it, according to our hands-on tests.
SUMO· the number puzzle
Dialo· learn languages by speaking
ediviewer· read EDI files like documents
giftdetect· the right gift in minutesThe MacBook Pro PROLED XDR is a superb machine, but its OLED screen, not its touch input, is what justifies the purchase. After several days of testing, that is our verdict on Apple's first touchscreen laptop, which goes on sale on 6 November.
What is new
Apple has rebuilt the MacBook Pro around a Tandem OLED display with thinner bezels, a Dynamic Island and a touch panel. The deep blacks, high brightness and striking contrast are, in our view, the genuine revolution here. The machine is also slightly lighter. Inside, it keeps the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips released only eight months ago, which remain in the catalogue, so performance stays a benchmark for professionals. We also found the trackpad to be the best on the market and far more useful than the touchscreen.
Touch is an option, not a revolution
In 99% of cases we used the trackpad and keyboard. During the first hour we even forgot the screen was touch-enabled, completing setup and performance tests without touching it. macOS does little to encourage finger use, and some buyers, especially professionals, may never discover it.
Apple has added a few touches: tapping the traffic-light buttons enlarges them, a swipe from the bottom brings up the Dock, one from the top opens Spotlight/Siri, and flicking a window left or right triggers split screen. A long press acts as a right click, and a swipe from the right opens Notification Centre.
But it is not ready everywhere. Some apps that support two-finger scrolling on the trackpad do not respond to touch, drag-and-drop can fail, and false taps happen because the interface is smaller than on iPadOS. Apple itself says touch is not a priority on macOS.
Price and who it is for
At €3,299 for the 14-inch and €3,899 for the 16-inch, this is the most expensive starting price of any Apple laptop. Apple typically brings a new MacBook Pro design to cheaper models the following year, but there is no certainty the PROLED screen will become more affordable in 2027. It suits professionals who want the best display and power now, not anyone buying it for touch.
Apps worth a look
SUMO: the number puzzleTap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.
Dialo: learn languages by speakingTalk to an AI conversation partner; every sentence comes back corrected and explained in your language. 9 languages, A1 to C2.
ediviewer: read EDI files like documentsOpen EDIFACT and X12 messages, see every segment explained, convert to JSON/XML, export PDF and Excel. Runs locally, no upload.
giftdetect: the right gift in minutesPick who it is for, the occasion and their personality. The search engine reads product descriptions from local shops and ranks what fits. Free, no sign-up.
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