After five years, Apple released its first major MacBook Pro overhaul since the M1 Pro/M1 Max models, and well… it was a little bit underwhelming from a design perspective. The product is incredible on many merits, but after seeing it, I’m not left feeling like I need to buy one – at least not yet.
The new MacBook Pro is substantially lighter. That’s a major improvement, especially if you’re someone who carries around a 16-inch MacBook Pro. With this new PROLED XDR generation, the 14-inch model reduced in weight by 0.5 pounds, and the 16-inch model reduced by 0.7 pounds. That’s a great deal when you’re carrying it around in a backpack or similar. The new models are also marginally thinner.
For me, though, I find myself a bit surprised by the fact that nothing about the top case design changed. The keyboard, trackpad, speaker, and port layouts all look about the same, and the chassis didn’t change shape besides getting a bit thinner. For every MacBook Pro overhaul in the past, the top case has changed in a meaningful way. With this overhaul, it really feels like more of a display upgrade that’s also accompanied by a lighter chassis.
Was there anything wrong with the current MacBook Pro chassis? Not at all. However, you could also argue the same for most design shifts in Apple’s history. It would’ve been nice to have a slightly different look, beyond the display.
This is more of a personal point. That said, I already have an M4 Pro model, and given the fact that these new MacBook Pros are substantially more expensive ($400 more compared to the miniLED MacBook Pros, which are also $300 more than they were prior to the June price hikes), I’m not particularly excited to buy silicon that isn’t the latest and greatest. The M5 family kicked off last year, and we already know M7 is coming next year.
I fully understand why Apple opted to skip the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, but it sure does make this MacBook Pro feel ever so slightly more uninteresting.
Apple already alluded to the fact that they have more in the pipeline when it comes to macOS optimizations for touch, so maybe I’ll be wowed in the future. For now though, aside from being able to interact with the iOS simulator with proper touch, I don’t really see much of a need to have touch on my Mac.
It’s great that it’s there, and I’m certainly not disappointed that Apple added it – but I’m not yet convinced I truly need it.
None of this was to bash on the new MacBook Pro at all. In fact, I’ll most definitely be buying one in the future, most likely once it gains M7 Pro and M7 Max chips by this time next year. Hopefully touch feels more important by then. I certainly love the idea of having a glowing Apple logo again, just not quite yet – and it’s not like this product will be going anywhere if I don’t buy it during the first iteration.
I bought a ridiculously overpowered M1 Max with 64GB of memory back when they were first released, and I have zero incentive to upgrade to this day. This machine covers all my needs with ease still.
It’s also worth noting I haven’t yet seen the new display in person. It’s totally possible I’ll be blown away once I see it, but I still think I’ll be capable of waiting. Especially since my M4 Pro MacBook Pro already has a 1000 nit display, so I’m not missing out too terribly from the OLED model.
How do you feel about the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR? Will you be buying one, or are you in a similar boat as I am? Let us know in the comments.
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Michael is a 9to5Mac Reporter, leading all of our Apple news coverage on weekends and reviewing the newest Apple products and accessories. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer, and started the weekly Indie App Spotlight series, which has covered hundreds of blooming new apps since it launched. In his free time, he enjoys shooting street photography around New York City on his Sony A7RV.
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