Reviewers identify the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display’s tandem OLED screen as its biggest upgrade. Touch can help with a few direct interactions, but it remains an occasional extra rather than a replacement for the trackpad. Battery results also vary with the test, so they’re best read alongside each test’s workload and brightness.
Think of the display as the main reason to consider this MacBook Pro; treat touch as a useful extra when your workflow suits it.
The PROLED XDR screen is the headline change
Apple lists the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display in 14- and 16-inch sizes with M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. Its official product specifications page describes the product family. Reviewers generally praise the tandem OLED panel, especially its HDR image and dark scenes.
The reported brightness numbers depend on the test. WIRED measured 1,849 nits in an HDR test with a 25% window and 1,025 nits with the entire display lit. Tom’s Hardware measured 1,964 nits in its 40% HDR test and 542.6 nits in SDR. WIRED also measured the OLED model as 12% brighter than the Mini-LED model in its comparison. These are separate test conditions, not a single standardized ranking.
Touch is useful for some tasks, not all-day input
Reviewers describe touch as handy for scrolling, dragging files in Finder and interacting directly with apps designed for touch. CNET’s Lori Grunin found it useful when the laptop was on her lap and the trackpad was awkward to reach. Other tasks were less comfortable: reviewers reported arm fatigue, movement at the hinge when pressing the screen and imprecise text selection because a finger can cover the words. CNET also described a touch-offset calibration option in Accessibility settings.
The keyboard and trackpad remain the primary input methods in the reviews. WIRED reported that some Rosetta-translated apps lack some touch-related features, and WIRED and Tom’s Hardware said Apple Pencil is not supported. One r/macbookpro discussion likewise mixed enthusiasm for OLED with doubts about touch ergonomics and objections to making touch standard. Those are individual comments in a single thread, not a measure of buyer opinion overall.
Battery results depend on the workload
The reported durations cover different tasks, brightness levels and configurations. They are observations from specific tests, not interchangeable estimates of everyday use.
| Test and attribution | Conditions and configuration | Reported runtime |
| Tom’s Guide, as summarized by Fomoera | 16-inch M5 Max; continuous Wi-Fi browsing at 150 nits; 128 GB memory, 4 TB storage and nano-texture glass; one completed run | 21 hours 24 minutes |
| TechRadar, as summarized by Fomoera | 16-inch M5 Max; repeated 1080p video at 50% brightness; 128 GB memory and 2 TB storage | 24 hours 21 minutes |
| Tom’s Hardware | 16-inch M5 Max; web browsing, video streaming and OpenGL tasks at 150 nits; 128 GB memory and 2 TB storage | 15 hours 57 minutes |
| CNET | 16-inch M5 Max; low-demand video streaming; 128 GB memory and 2 TB storage; review testing was in progress | About 21 hours |
The longest result came from repeated video playback, while Tom’s Hardware’s shorter test mixed browsing, streaming and OpenGL tasks. Brightness and workload change how much power the laptop uses, so neither result alone predicts how long it will last in your day.
U.S. starting prices and the upgrade decision
WIRED and Creative Bloq report U.S. starting prices of $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model, both with M5 Pro. WIRED’s listed 14-inch example had 24 GB of memory. These are reported starting prices, not live offers. Reviewers put the OLED model’s premium at $400 over comparable Mini-LED configurations with the same chip.
The display makes the clearest case for buyers who often work with HDR or value a high-quality built-in screen. For existing M5 Pro or M5 Max owners, a performance-only upgrade is harder to justify: WIRED found performance similar to the previous generation in its Cinebench 2026 and game tests. Tom’s Hardware also says memory and storage cannot be upgraded after purchase, making the chosen configuration important from the start.
