The first media reviews for Apple’s new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR went live on Thursday, November 5, one day before the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch laptops arrive in Canadian stores and on doorsteps on Friday, November 6.
Display quality is the upgrade everyone expected to lead the conversation, and it does. Reviewers praise the tandem OLED PROLED XDR panel for deeper blacks, punchier contrast and HDR peaks up to 2000 nits, with several calling the screen worth the jump even if you rarely poke it. Slimmer bezels, a Dynamic Island in place of the notch and the return of the glowing Apple logo round out the redesign.
Touch is the headline feature, but the consensus treats it as a handy extra rather than a new way to use a Mac. Many found the OLED panel impressive and said the display and lighter chassis are worth the premium even when you barely use touch.
Reviewers also like how much lighter and slightly thinner the new chassis feels next to the mini-LED MacBook Pros, and performance stays in familiar M5 Pro and M5 Max territory. Complaints land on the price, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and that speakers tweak that trades balance for louder low end.
In Canada, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR starts at $3,999 CAD for the M5 Pro configuration, with the 16-inch M5 Pro from $4,799 CAD. M5 Max configs start at $6,299 CAD for the 14-inch and $6,599 CAD for the 16-inch. Pre-orders are already open at Apple, and you can order the new MacBook Pro from Amazon as well, with units starting to arrive Friday, November 6.
We’ve already covered hands-on impressions from Apple’s LA event and why John Ternus says Apple finally put touch on the Mac if you’re still weighing the redesign.
Here’s a roundup of MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR reviews from around the web.
Are you ordering the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR this Friday from Apple or Amazon, or sticking with a mini-LED MacBook Pro a little longer?
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