Similar improvements could come to Macs, meaning it might be worth waiting another year if you’re focused on AI workflows or even 3D applications—especially given the high cost of these machines. That’s part of what makes this such an uncertain time to buy a laptop. We’re in a moment when these companies are revisiting the architecture of these chips because of these new workflows, and we don’t know what the end result is yet.
A monster of a display
Here’s one thing that’s not at all uncertain: The display on the MacBook Pro is the best I have ever used in a laptop. If the display is your primary concern, this is a big moment.
Apple calls it a “tandem OLED display,” meaning a panel with two emissive layers. This approach helps achieve a higher peak brightness, but perhaps more importantly, it can reduce the risk of burn-in. Most of the time, the display won’t need both layers running at full power. Instead, they can share the load and run at a reduced current, helping extend the panel’s lifespan.
The new display can achieve up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness on HDR highlights, but it’s rated for 1,000 nits of sustained brightness. In general, I like the way Apple handles HDR for this at the OS level, too.
Credit:
Samuel Aoxn
This photo doesn’t do the screen justice, but at least you can see the proportions and design here. (It’s the 16-inch model.)
Credit:
Samuel Aoxn
The brightness matters for HDR content, sure, but what really makes OLED stand out is per-pixel illumination—meaning each pixel can turn on or off independently. That allows for absolute black levels and very strong contrast. The MiniLED display in the previous MacBook Pro offered good contrast for an LCD display, but OLED has a fundamental advantage here, and it shows.
As you’d expect, the screen offers native support for both P3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts. It also has a variable refresh rate from 10 to 120 Hz, just like many of Apple’s other products. As before, the MacBook Pro comes in roughly 14-inch (3,024×1,986 pixels) and 16-inch (3,472×2,226 pixels) variants. There’s also a nano-texture glass option to fight glare, though that will set you back another $150.
