Here is today’s Apple News in one place
Today is all about the MacBook Pro with PROLED. Please subscribe to receive this news every day.
Apple VP Tom Boger on MacBook Pro weight, design, and the return of the glowing logo
EXCLUSIVE: I spoke with Apple’s Vice President of Mac and iPad Product Marketing, Tom Boger, to talk about the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. Scan all the latest reviews of the product below.
Apple’s Music Hall signals a bigger strategic plan
Good piece exploring how Apple Music Hall launches a new “world-building” exercise, from which Apple can build its business in smart home audio and audio streaming.
The Core: TLDR Apple News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Apple gives employees a reason to use on-device AI
A story claims Apple has cut its external AI services budget, presumably because there’s no need to use those services when you make computers that can natively handle routine AI requests on device.
Apple Creator Studio updates ship
Significant updates announced last month are finally being distributed.
Siri AI Waitlist is coming to an end
Apple says the waitlist will only take place during times of high demand, and Siri AI should now download automatically.
Developers can ask you to stay with them
When you try to cancel an app subscription developers get another chance to beg you to stay.
Now you can play Nintendo Switch games on Apple TV
“How long any of these types of projects will survive is anyone’s guess.”
Watch out for the Midnight Blizzard
Russia-Linked Hackers Hit iOS, Android Devices With Exploit Chains via watering hole attacks.
Tablet market declines 24%, Apple still leads
In 3Q26, Apple maintained its lead despite a 28% YoY decline in shipments. Its share fell to 36% from 38.2% a year earlier.
Apple seeks about US$7 billion from bond sale
Will use the money for general business purposes, including share buybacks and repaying outstanding debt, the filing said.
Qualcomm stock down on smartphone industry slump
Company missed estimates on sluggish smartphone demand. Revenue from its handset unit fell 26%. Company said its Q1 27 forecast includes “no further sales” from Apple.
What happened yesterday? Click here to find out, otherwise, please read on to catch up with the first 20 or so MacBook Pro with PROLED reviews.
Here are the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR reviews
My own TL;DR take? When you pick it up, its weight will astonish you, as will the thinness of its display. Display brightness, accuracy and detail will impress the hell out of you, as will its visibility in high light conditions.
On-screen latency to touch is imperceptible, actions happen immediately, the illuminated Apple logo will impress, as will the sheer performance power.
Apple has thought through the details, for example, if you touch the display and it shakes during a video call, AI will automatically steady the video the caller sees.
There’s lots of details like this. The display — a reference-grade display you’d have spent $30,000 on back in 2019 — makes this a bargain for some users. At the same time, when you use it the Mac remains a Mac, works like a Mac, which means Apple has woven touch into a familiar Mac experience.
While the integration between touch and Mac is subtle, I’m convinced it will inspire new computing experiences as creative people get hold of it.
For some people, this is the ideal working machine, particularly those working in video, 3D modelling, data, app development, and photography. The addition of touch opens new creative possibilities for everyone, but the price puts it out of reach for most of us.
Now what everyone else is saying
- “I’ve only spent just over a day with the first touchscreen MacBook Pro, and I need more time to delve into all its intricacies. First impressions are strong, though – I can already tell I am going to struggle to give up this gorgeous display.” Trusted Reviews.
- “While the MacBook Pro with a ProLED XDR display isn’t the revolutionary reinvention of the laptop some are making it out to be, it could be a compelling, ultra-premium option for a very specific type of MacBook user that values having a stunning OLED display and that’s always wanted a touchscreen MacBook.” XDA- Developers.
- “This first version of the Mac’s Touch UI is smooth, reliable, usable, and even fun. It’s a good start, and I hope Apple invents ways to take advantage of Touch, evolving it beyond being a touch interface on top of macOS,” Macworld.
- “I’m loving this laptop so far, and I think it’s the first true slam-dunk of the John Ternus era.” Mashable.
- “If this is really what the future of MacBook looks like, we’re in for a generation of fabulous laptops — whether you want to touch the screen or not.” The Verge.
- “The touchscreen OLED display also opens up use cases that previously didn’t exist, particularly for creators. You can rotate 3D models in Blender with one hand, zoom in and out on the canvas in Photoshop without having to fiddle with the window, or scrub through the timeline in Final Cut Pro without running out of room on the trackpad.” ZDNet.
- “I’m only a fraction of the way through my testing of Apple’s new flagship MacBook Pro — there’s a lot to unpack given the updated design and new screen. But I already think it’s on the way to earning the highest rating I remember giving to a laptop, and my second highest rated product. The first is the recent Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra,” CNet.
- “This is still the same MacBook Pro we’ve come to love over the last five years. Apple has taken an already excellent laptop and made meaningful improvements to nearly every aspect of the experience. And it just so happens to have a touchscreen now, too.” 9to5Mac.
- “While all the talk is about the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display being the first MacBook with a touchscreen, the touchscreen is arguably not its most interesting feature … it’s the gorgeous tandem OLED screen and industry-leading battery life that should get you excited here.” TechRadar.
- “The hinge has also been re-engineered, to ensure that pressing the screen doesn’t make it bounce away from you. That seems to have worked: there is still a little give when you press on the display, but it’s not noticeable at all.” The Independent.
- “What’s particularly interesting and endearing about this feature is that while previous implementations of the glowing logo relied on an existing screen backlight, OLED panels (which use self-emitting pixels) need no backlight. That means Apple had to deliberately add a new light source beneath the screen layers to enable this purely-for-show feature. It’s an impressive level of attention to detail, and I hope to see it return to more MacBooks.” PC Mag.
- “This machine exists because Apple could make it. So, its OLED display is pristine, its combination of power and portability remains unparalleled, and as for those touchscreen capabilities? They’re a “nice-to-have” on a laptop that’s full of extravagances. If you want Apple’s greatest computing flex yet, you’re looking at it.” GQ.
- “The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display impresses thanks to its astonishing touchscreen OLED display that’s the brightest we’ve ever seen on a laptop. On top of that, it has a thinner, lighter design, punchy speakers, and super-long battery life. Plus. Apple finally ditches the notch. While it’s very expensive, this marvellous laptop will floor you.” Tom’s Guide.
- “Setting aside touch capability, Apple’s tandem OLED application here results in the best display I’ve ever tested, full stop. That alone is worth the $400 premium.” PetaPixel.
- “Let’s just be clear that the 0.5 pounds less heft that you carry around with the 3-pound, 14-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR is massive. It takes what was previously a relatively heavy-duty 14-inch laptop and makes it the kind of device I don’t mind shoving in my bag when I need ports, performance, and what’s probably the best laptop display you can buy today.” Gizmodo.
- “This is an expensive laptop, but it looks astonishing, performs at speed and just keeps going. It looks better than other OLED laptops, integrates touch more elegantly and is a joy to use. Is this the best laptop Apple has ever made? Easily. Is it the best laptop out there? I think so.” The Standard.
- “In the time I’ve had with the touchscreen MacBook Pro so far, I tried to remind myself of its new powers. But when I’m deep in work, I completely forget the touchscreen. It just has no place in my workflows. That doesn’t mean it’s not ever useful, though. Sometimes, swiping away a notification with a finger feels intuitive.” Wired.
