I've tested Apple's new touchscreen MacBook, and it's worth buying but not for the reasons youre expecting

Date:
Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:02:44 +0000

Description:
Apple has finally relented and put a touchscreen on a MacBook but with gorgeous tandem OLED technology behind the display, the touch element is perhaps the least interesting aspect.

FULL STORY ======================================================================At a glance: Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) What is it?

The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is Apples latest and greatest workstation laptop aimed at professionals. It doesnt come with the newest M6 chip architecture, and instead sticks with the previous, yet very powerful,
M5 Pro and M5 Max generation. The big change this time around, however, is
the PROLED XDR Display. Apple has dropped mini LED technology for tandem
OLED, and the screen is gorgeously vibrant and its the first time Apple has included a touchscreen on a MacBook. What does it cost?

The Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display comes in two sizes: 14-inch and 16-inch. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899 / 2,899 / AU$4,599 and the
16-inch model starts at $3,399 / 3,399 / AU$5,499. These versions come with 24GB of unified memory and 1TB storage, and are powered by the M5 Pro chip (the 16-inch models M5 Pro chip features a more powerful 20-core GPU,
compared to the 14-inches 18-core GPU). You can configure both models with
the more powerful M5 Max chip up to 128GB memory and 16TB of storage, but things get very expensive, very fast. Alternatives

The launch of the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display comes at a time when theres a lot of competition in the prosumer laptop market, thanks to the launch of a range of laptops powered by Nvidias RTX Spark chip. These
laptops, such as the Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark and Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, have powerful chips, unified memory and touchscreens (many of them are OLED as well), which pits them squarely against the new MacBook Pro. Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display scorecard How the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display scored in our review Value 3 Design 4.5 Performance 5 Battery life 5 Overall 4.5 Group 1 Data Product Value () Design ()
Performance () Battery life () Overall () Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 3 4.5 5 5 4.5 Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED
XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max): Value for money Starting at $2,899 /
2,899 / AU$4,599 for the 14-inch version, and $3,399 / 3,399 / AU$5,499 for the 16-inch model, and going all the way up to an astonishing $14,549 /
14,549 / AU$22,424 for the fully specced-out model, the question of value
isnt so much about price, but about what this laptop can enable you to do.

Put simply, if you just want a MacBook that will excel at day-to-day tasks youd be much better off buying a MacBook Air (M5) , and even for more ambitious workloads, the recently-announced MacBook Pro (M6) , which starts
at $1,999 / 1,999 / AU$3,199, will likely more than suffice. Neither of
those, of course, feature a touchscreen, but I wouldnt suggest buying any model of the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display for the touchscreen alone. (Image credit: Future) Thankfully, this version of the MacBook Pro has other features that help to justify the higher price tag, including tandem OLED screen technology, a lighter design, and more powerful components. Despite being older than the M6 chip, both the M5 Pro and M5 Max outperform it, so if you need a seriously powerful laptop, and image quality is of the utmost importance, the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display could be a worthy investment, especially if its raw performance means you can complete projects faster, allowing you to take on more work, for example. Latest
Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Apple MacBook Pro 16in with PROLED XDR Display (2TB Silver) at Amazon for 4,499 If you dont need that
kind of horsepower, then there are much more affordable options you should consider, tempting as the touchscreen functionality or OLED display might be.

Compared to rival RTX Spark laptops, the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is much more competitive. The Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark starts at $4,399.99 / 3,899.99 / AU$7,999, though it comes with a lot more memory, packing 64GB.

Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599.99 / 2,599 / AU$4,399
for the same amount of memory (24GB), but only half the storage space
(512GB). So, while the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is an extremely expensive laptop, when you consider what it offers, who its aimed at, and how much the competition costs, the price tag makes more sense, even if that doesnt make it any easier to afford. Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED
XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max): Design PROLED XDR screen is a clear highlight Slightly lighter than previous models iPhone-like Dynamic Island replaces the controversial notch around the webcam Given that the MacBook Pro design hasnt changed in years, the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display in both size variants comes with some major tweaks in this department. This isnt, though, the kind of overhaul we saw when Apple introduced the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pros that replaced the 15-inch and 13-inch models, respectively, around five years ago; instead, this is a more subtle
refinement of the design, and pretty much all of the tweaks are a result of the new display, so lets start there.

Apple calls the new PROLED XDR screen "the best display on a laptop" and, to be fair, it has a good reason to be boastful. Previous screens on the MacBook Pro were already pretty darn good, and now Apple has swapped the mini-LED
tech for tandem OLED. This essentially uses two layers of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) on top of each other, rather than just a single layer, so peak brightness can go even higher, while the display can remain power-efficient. The PROLED XDR screen can achieve 2,000 nits of peak brightness, whereas the mini-LED screen of previous MacBook Pros had a peak brightness of 1,600. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. 1 2 3 SDXC Card Slot Memory card slot for importing photos and videos straight from your camera HDMI & USB-C port On the right-hand side there's a full size HDMI port and one of three USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports
Touch ID button This button powers on the MacBook Pro, and can scan your fingerprint to log in Side view of the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) Explore Combine that with the usual benefits weve come to expect from OLED displays, namely the higher contrast ratios and lack of halo effects (where theres noticeable bloom surrounding light colors that bleeds into pixels that should be showing darker, or completely black, colors) that come thanks to each OLED pixel being independently controlled (including being able to be turned off completely), rather than relying on an LED backlight, which offers less precise control over the pixels in the display.

The contrast ratio of the PROLED XDR screen is an incredible 10,000,000:1, a pretty huge bump over the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio of the previous model with a Liquid Retina XDR display. Contrast ratio is a way of comparing the brightest white to the darkest black of a display, and the greater the difference, the more vibrant the image quality, so you can forget about washed-out colors and blacks that look more gray, and enjoy rich, deep colors that really pop compared to darker tones, and even the total blackness that OLED technology enables.

While MacBook displays have supported the P3 color gamut, which is particularly important for people working with video who require accurate colors, the PROLED XDR screen also supports the Adobe RGB gamut, which offers wider coverage for green and cyan colors, and is popular with photographers and designers.

The addition of touch functionality has also had implications for the design. The hinges of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display have been tweaked to reduce movement and flex when you touch the screen. Id have loved it if Apple had taken this opportunity to increase the amount by which the screen can be pushed back, ideally introducing hinges to allow the touchscreen to lie flat on a desk, or even flip behind the keyboard to turn the laptop into an iPad-like device. Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 5 View Original Image 2 of 5 View Original Image 3 of 5 View Original
Image 4 of 5 View Original Image 5 of 5 View Original This would have made
the redesign of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display even more ambitious, and would have likely meant much more work for Apple to ensure the macOS operating system works with a 2-in-1 laptop form factor, but it would have made the whole idea of a touchscreen much more viable. Instead, were still stuck with a traditional clamshell laptop design, so touchscreen gestures require you hovering your arm over the keyboard as you jab horizontally at
the screen it's not the most natural-feeling way to interact with a device, and this was one of Steve Jobs biggest criticisms of touchscreen laptops
when, as CEO, he dismissed the idea of Apple making one all those years ago.

The PROLED XDR screen also allows for thinner bezels around it, and the once-controversial notch that surrounded the webcam has been replaced by Apple's Dynamic Island, as seen on the iPhone, which gives you quick touch access to controls such as media playback, AirDrop sharing and accessing Spotlight. Its one of the best examples of Apple tweaking macOS to better
make use of the touchscreen, and I can confidently predict that the Dynamic Island will be less hated than the notch, which was just dead space that intruded on the desktop.

The more compact Dynamic Island and thinner bezels mean the screen of this 16-inch Pro is slightly larger than on previous models at 16.3 inches vs 16.2 inches, with a higher resolution of 3472 x 2266 pixels vs 3456 x 2234 pixels.

The OLED screen technology (and new thermal system thats used to keep the laptops components cool) has also helped Apple reduce the weight of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) by half a pound that's 15% lighter and make it around 1mm thinner. (Image credit: Future)
The MacBook Pro was always a great showcase that proved powerful workstation laptops dont need to be big and bulky, so it's impressive that Apple has been able to make this new model both lighter and thinner.

The final design change is a relatively minor one, but one that will likely prove to be very popular. Apple has returned to having an illuminated Apple logo on the back of the lid it's a nod to the past, while also helping the latest MacBook Pro stand out more compared to the previous models.

Apart from those changes, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max)s design is essentially the same as the previous few
generations of MacBook but thats no bad thing, as it remains a great-looking laptop with plenty of ports (three USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports, SDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5mm audio and the MagSafe 3 port) for pros. Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026): Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally





Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch base configuration



Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch max configuration



Processor



Apple M5 Pro (18-core)



Apple M5 Max (18-core)



Graphics



20-core GPU



32-core GPU



Display



16.3inch (diagonal) tandem OLED PROLED XDR display (3472 x 2266), Touch, Wide color (P3 + Adobe RGB), True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz



16.3inch (diagonal) tandem OLED PROLED XDR display (3472 x 2266), Touch, Wide color (P3 + Adobe RGB), True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz



Memory



24GB Unified Memory



36GB Unified Memory



Storage



1TB SSD



2TB SSD



Battery Life



Integrated 100watthour lithiumpolymer battery, up to 17 hours web browsing,
up to 24 hours video streaming



Integrated 100watthour lithiumpolymer battery, up to 16 hours web browsing,
up to 22 hours video streaming



Ports



3x USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports, SDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, MagSafe 3



3x USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports, SDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, MagSafe 3



Audio & Camera



High-fidelity sixspeaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View



High-fidelity sixspeaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View



Wireless



Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 6.0



Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 6.0



Dimensions & Weight



0.63 x 14 x 9.62 inches (1.60 x 35.55 x 24.42cm), 4lbs (1.82kg)



0.63 x 14 x 9.62 inches (1.60 x 35.55 x 24.42cm), 4.1lbs (1.84kg)

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max):
Performance No M6 version with PROLED XDR Display Touchscreen is responsive, but not an essential addition Very fast SSD Im going to be honest: I think Apple has got itself into a little bit of a pickle with its M-series naming convention and release cadence. For a company that was often lauded for offering an elegant simplicity here, compared to the complexity of some competitors, its made a bit of a confusing mess.

Want the very latest M-series architecture, the M6 , which is the companys first-ever 2nm compute chip? Well, if so, you can forget about the PROLED XDR Display, as Apple is only offering it in the 14-inch MacBook Pro with
Mini-LED screen. If you want the M6 and dont care about a touchscreen or
OLED, but prefer the larger 16-inch screen size, then youre out of luck.

If you want the most powerful chips in a MacBook, then youre left with the previous-generation M5 Pro and Max chips. But, getting an M5 Max-powered MacBook Pro doesnt guarantee its the most powerful chip, as the default M5
Max chip that comes with the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch features an 18-core CPU and 32-core GPU, but you can upgrade (for $300 / 300 extra) to a more powerful M5 Max with a 40-core GPU. To be honest, unless youre working with extremely graphically-intensive projects, the standard M5 Max chip will be more than enough, and even the M5 Pro will handle pretty
much anything you throw at it.

As I mentioned, if you want the M6 generation and the improvements it brings, namely with a smaller 2nm process, which should lead to better power efficiency, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine for improved on-device AI performance, then youll need to forego both the PROLED XDR Display and
16-inch screen size. Benchmarks How the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) performed in our suite of benchmark tests < Prev 3DMark Next > 3DMark: Steel Nomad 4402 3DMark: Steel Solar Bay 78412 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 Score 3DMark Data Product 3DMark: Steel Nomad (Score) 3DMark: Steel Solar Bay (Score) Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 4402 78412 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Write 13335 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read 12783 0 3,750 7,500 11,250 15,000
Score Blackmagic Disk Speed Data Product Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Write (Score) Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read (Score) Apple MacBook Pro with
PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 13335 12783 Geekbench 6.7.2: Single-Core 4359 Geekbench 6.7.2: Multi-Core 30327 Geekbench 7.1.0: Single-Core 3766 Geekbench 7.1.0: Multi-Core 35679 Geekbench AI 1.8 (Core ML/Neural Engine): Single Precision Score 6200 Geekbench AI 1.8 (Core ML/Neural Engine): Half Precision Score 47515 Geekbench AI 1.8 (Core
ML/Neural Engine): Quantized Score 64473 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 Score Geekbench Data Product Geekbench 6.7.2: Single-Core (Score) Geekbench 6.7.2: Multi-Core (Score) Geekbench 7.1.0: Single-Core (Score) Geekbench 7.1.0: Multi-Core (Score) Geekbench AI 1.8 (Core ML/Neural Engine): Single Precision Score (Score) Geekbench AI 1.8 (Core ML/Neural Engine): Half Precision Score (Score) Geekbench AI 1.8 (Core ML/Neural Engine): Quantized Score (Score) Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 4359 30327 3766 35679 6200 47515 64473 PugetBench for Adobe CC (Photoshop) 18431 PugetBench for Adobe CC (Premiere Pro) 155248 0 50,000 100,000 150,000
200,000 Score PugetBench Data Product PugetBench for Adobe CC (Photoshop) (Score) PugetBench for Adobe CC (Premiere Pro) (Score) Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 18431 155248 Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 109 0 37.5 75 112.5 150 fps Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra, 1920 x 1200) Data Product Value Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) 109 1 of 5 The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display model Apple sent to me for review comes with the M5 Max chip with 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, 128GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage. Thats a hefty list of specs, and would set you back a similarly hefty $7,399 / 7,399 / AU$11,699.

Ive previously tested the M5 and M5 Pro in the 14-inch MacBook Pros launched earlier this year and late last year, and as expected, the M5 Max in my 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is incredibly powerful,
with macOS and its built-in apps all launching quickly and feeling fast and snappy.

When it comes to the touchscreen, macOS again feels fast and responsive, and using a finger to quickly browse up and down a website, selecting options in
a dialog box or menu, and moving windows around the screen all feels natural, especially if youve ever used an iPhone or an iPad. A comparison of the Mini-LED screen of previous MacBooks on the left, with the PROLED XDR Display on the right. Both at 100% brightness (Image credit: Future) Unlike people
who have only used Macs and MacBooks from the once touchscreen-phobic Apple, Ive had extensive experience using Windows laptops and Chromebooks with touchscreens, so using one on the MacBook Pro isnt as big of a culture shock as it might be to some. While it worked well, and there are some nice touches (forgive the pun), such as pressing down your finger on certain tools in
Final Cut Pro to open up a radial menu for more precise touch control, I have to say that Windows 11 , Chrome OS, and Google s new Googlebook OS are better suited to touch controls.

This might come as little surprise, as this is Apples first MacBook to have a touchscreen, while Windows laptops and Chromebooks have had them for decades, and in the case of Chrome OS and Googlebook OS, Google has used its
experience working on Android to develop the operating system. And, for as much grief as a lot of us (myself included) gave Windows 8 when it launched back in 2012, it inspired Microsoft to make a touchscreen-friendly interface, elements of which are still found in Windows 11 , primarily with larger, easier to tap, buttons and menus. Currently, macOS Tahoe still looks and
feels like an operating system thats best used with a traditional mouse and keyboard, because thats what it is. But that also means some elements of the user interface, such as menus, feel a bit fiddly to control via touch.

Hopefully this will change if more MacBooks come out with touchscreens. But, because Apple has decided to put its first laptop touchscreen on its most powerful (and expensive) MacBooks, theres a danger that the company will end up thinking that because the numbers of touchscreen MacBook users is so
small, its not worth making big changes to the interface.

Another issue I have with Apples decision to put a touchscreen on its highest-end MacBook Pros, rather than a more mainstream MacBook Air or Neo something Ive written about is that touchscreen gestures and controls often arent the best way to control a laptop when you're performing complex tasks where precision is key. Sure, you can pull up a virtual piano in Garage Band and tap on the keys on screen, but while this is handy for quick ideas, you dont want to play or write an entire song using it.

Most professionals will have peripherals, such as physical MIDI keyboards,
for precise control. Its the same with photographers and digital artists using your fingers to pinch and zoom an image feels fast and natural, as does scribbling some notes or doodles, but for long-term use, many professionals will use a drawing tablet. If the MacBooks PROLED XDR Display was compatible with the Apple Pencil stylus, that would make it a more useful tool for professionals, but it's not, which is a rather odd omission. One touchscreen-friendly change Apple has made to macOS, and which Im a big fan of, is adding an iPhone-like Dynamic Island where the notch around the webcam used to be. Tapping this gives you quick context-relevant tools, such as
media controls when watching a video. Spotlight search and Siri AI are now located here as well. This is a great addition that adds value to the MacBook Pros touchscreen, and Id like to see it expanded, and more touch-friendly UI elements to make the touchscreen a must-have, rather than nice-to-have-but-far-from-essential, which is what it feels like at the moment.

The tandem OLED tech powering the PROLED XDR Display is a much bigger deal, and likely the reason why most people will consider the Apple MacBook Pro
with PROLED XDR Display over the standard model. The previous Mini-LED screen was already one of the best displays youd find on a laptop, and thanks to tandem OLED, this new screen is even better. Straight out of the box without needing any calibration, the colors are bright and vibrant so much so that I was surprised to see that the screen was only at 50% brightness.

Placing my 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip and Mini-LED screen next to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch really highlighted just how much better the PROLED XDR screen is. The Mini-LED looked dimmer, despite it being at 100% brightness, even with the PROLED XDR screen
remaining at 50%. Now, as I said, the Mini-LED display of the (slightly)
older MacBook Pro is no slouch, so to see such a stark difference in image quality is a big deal, especially for people who want a laptop for working with photos, videos and digital art. The new support for Adobe RGB color
gamut is another big plus here, though as usual for Mac devices youll want to turn off the True Tone feature it tweaks the colors of the screen depending on the ambient light youre working in, which can make whats on the screen
look better to you in that moment, but could lead to color inaccuracies in a production workflow.

I wont delve too deep into the performance of the M5 Max, as its been in
other Apple devices for a while now, but this is the first time Ive used a MacBook running it (I have tested both the previous M5 and M5 Pro MacBook Pro models).

According to Apples benchmarks, the M5 Max is around nine times faster than the M4 Max when it comes to first token performance, while AI image
generation is apparently around six times faster. If those are the kind of stats that excite you, then enjoy! (Image credit: Future) In our benchmark tests, compared to the M5 MacBook Pro with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) with an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU unsurprisingly outperformed the older MacBook Pro when it came to graphic-intensive tests. In the 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme graphics test, for example, the M5 MacBook Pro scored 73.6fps compared to the M5 Maxs 214.1fps.

With gaming, the M5 MacBook Pro hit 11fps at 1920 x 1200 with Ray Tracing set to Ultra, while the M5 Max model managed a much more playable 38.75fps. This is a good example of the graphical performance gap, but if you want a laptop to game on youre still better off buying a dedicated gaming laptop, which is
a bit of a shame, as the PROLED XDR Display makes games look fantastic.

The SSD inside the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026,
M5 Max) offers up to 14.5GB/s speeds, with Apple claiming its twice as fast
as the SSD in the previous generation, and in our tests it scored a very good 13,334.7MB/s and 12,782.7MB/s write and read speeds, respectively. A fast SSD like this is important if youre working on large files and complex projects.

The SSD in the Surface Laptop Ultra with RTX Spark N1X chip scored a rather paltry 1,921MB/s write speeds in comparison. Check out our benchmark result charts for more comparisons.

The rest of the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) works as well as expected. The spatial speakers are loud and clear, and the Center Stage webcam offers excellent clarity, alongside some nice software-powered features that improve the image quality further. A nice additional feature added is that macOS will virtually stabilize the webcams footage if youre using the touchscreen at the same time, to stop it wobbling while youre on calls. Its a handy feature, and shows the attention to detail weve come to expect from Apple. Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) review: Battery Life Battery life results How long
does the battery last? Versus Comparison Data Attribute Apple MacBook Pro
with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2024, M4 Pro) Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark Battery life video test 24.35 21.5 11.383333333333333 Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026,
M5 Max) Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2024, M4 Pro) Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark VS Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) Apple
MacBook Pro 16-inch (2024, M4 Pro) Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark Battery life video test (hours, mins) +13% 24:21:00 21:30:00 Our battery life benchmark involves playing a looped 1080p video at 50% brightness until the laptop
turns off. Apple has claimed the new 16-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display lasts up to 24 hours on battery when streaming videos, and up to 17 hours when browsing the web, and I found those claims to be pretty much spot on, with the device lasting an incredible 24 hours and 21 minutes in our battery test, which involves playing a looped 1080p video at 50% brightness.

It blows past the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) , which managed 21 hours and 32 minutes in the same test, and over double the 11 hours and 23 minutes the Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark hit. The MacBook Pro is able to sustain its performance when on battery life, rather than throttling it to conserve energy, so youll be able to go multiple work days on a single charge while still being productive, though of course the battery will drain more quickly if youre using it for more intensive tasks.

The battery life is seriously impressive for a large workstation laptop with such powerful components and bright and vibrant display, and laptop makers
(as well as Nvidia itself) producing RTX Spark rivals will need to seriously up their game when it comes to battery life, if they are only managing half
of what the new Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) can achieve. Should I buy the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max)? Buy the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display if...

You want a powerful yet portable workstation laptop for creative work The Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display performs brilliantly when tasked with almost any creative project, but the M5 Max chip really comes into its own when handling complex graphical workloads. Battery life is also phenomenal, allowing you to work on this laptop pretty much anywhere. Your work requires accurate image quality The tandem OLED tech behinds the PROLED XDR Display really is impressive, and thanks to support for the P3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts, you get very accurate images without the need for deep calibration making it a great choice for photographers and videographers. You develop apps for iPhones and iPads One of the best use cases Ive seen for the touchscreen aspect of the PROLED XDR Display is for app developers who
can run emulated versions of their apps on the MacBook, and use the screen to see how touchscreen elements will work. Don't buy the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display if...

You dont care about the touchscreen If you still agree with Steve Jobs touchscreen-on-MacBook scepticism, then you can save a lot of money by going for one of the many touchscreen-less MacBooks being sold. You will miss out
on the gorgeous tandem OLED screen, however. You only care about the touchscreen Conversely, if you really want a laptop primarily for a touchscreen, Id recommend a 2-in-1 Windows 11 laptop or Chromebook, which are currently much better suited to touchscreen controls. Paying so much extra just for a touchscreen on the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is a waste.
You dont need the power or image quality The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch is a very expensive laptop in all its configurations, and
even the base model will be overkill for most users, so your money will
likely be better spent elsewhere. Also consider Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro (14-inch) Today's best deals 2,399 1,613.83 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Pros Exquisite design Glorious large display Respectable graphical performance Cons Not the lightest Lacks ports Heavy keys Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark Today's best deals 2,399.99 View voucher gift 3,099 View voucher gift Low Stock 4,523.97 View Show more We check over 250 million products every
day for the best prices

Pros Stunning 3K OLED screen Stylish, lightweight design Strong creative, AI and gaming performance Cons Very expensive Bested by dedicated gaming or creative laptops Some wobble to the screen How I tested the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) (Image credit: Future) Used as main work laptop for five days Used a variety of apps during my time
Extensive experience reviewing MacBooks, laptops and Chromebooks As soon as Apple sent me the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max), I started using it as my daily laptop, and even wrote some of the
review on it. I tested numerous apps including Photoshop , and played Cyberpunk 2077 on it to see how it performs, as well as how good the PROLED XDR Display looks. I also viewed and editing some very high-quality photos by photographer Paul Reiffer, and supplied by Apple.

Throughout my time with the Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display 16-inch (2026, M5 Max), I used both the standard keyboard and touchpad, and the touchscreen.

Ive been reviewing laptops, including MacBooks and touchscreen laptops, for nearly 20 years, and have used that experience to inform my review. First reviewed: November 2026 Read more about how we test Apple MacBook Pro 16in with PROLED XDR Display: Price Comparison 4,499 View 4,799 Preorder We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/macbooks/apple-macbook-pro-with-proled-xdr -display-16-inch-2026-m5-max


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