Apple has introduced the all-new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display, its first touchscreen Mac. But it uses the exact same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as the existing MacBook Pros, which are sticking around in the lineup.
So is it worth paying $2899 for the OLED M5 Pro model over the $2499 regular version? Or $4499 for the OLED M5 Max over the $4099 regular one? Every OLED model costs exactly $400 more than its mini-LED counterpart, so what does that extra $400 actually get you? Let’s find out!
Display: Touchscreen, Dynamic Island, and Design
Both versions come in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The 14-inch has a 14.2″ screen on both, while the 16-inch OLED gets a slightly larger 16.3″ screen, up from 16.2″.
The pixel density is the same 254 PPI across all of them, but the OLED models get a few extra pixels. The 14″ goes from 3024 x 1964 to 3024 x 1986, and the 16″ goes from 3456 x 2234 to 3472 x 2266. That’s only 1-2% more pixels, so it’s basically a hair more screen.
But it does make for slightly slimmer display borders and a smaller cutout with the Dynamic Island instead of the notch. It shows Spotlight, Live Activities, and Siri AI, but of course, the headline feature here is that the OLED MacBook Pro is a touchscreen, so you can tap it to do things like pause music or accept an AirDrop.
The touch sensor is built directly into the display panel rather than layered on top, and you can scroll, pinch, rotate, and draw. Apple also redesigned the hinge so the screen doesn’t wobble when you tap it, and for old timers, they brought back the glowing Apple logo on the back!
Also, the OLED screen has rounded corners on all 4 sides, whereas the Mini-LED version only has rounded corners on the top sides, but square corners on the bottom sides.
But the biggest difference is of course the display technology. The regular MacBook Pro uses a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and up to 1600 nits of peak HDR brightness. The PROLED XDR display uses tandem OLED, like the iPad Pro. That bumps the contrast ratio 10 times to 10,000,000:1 and peak brightness to 2000 nits. That applies to SDR content outdoors as well, compared to 1000 nits on the mini-LED, so it should be noticeably easier to see in direct sunlight. Both still max out at 1000 nits sustained full-screen brightness.
The OLED display also supports the Adobe RGB color gamut in addition to P3, which photographers and print designers will appreciate. It even adds some new reference modes, including HDR photography and medical imaging presets.
Positioned as a portable reference monitor, the new OLED screen has built-in anti-glare and reflection, although there is still the option to add nano-texture for $150 more, just like with the old MacBook Pro.
Chips: Same Performance Inside
As far as the chips powering these MacBooks: they are identical. Both versions offer the M5 Pro and the M5 Max, with all the same configuration options, memory bandwidth, neural accelerators, and so forth.
So if you’re buying a MacBook Pro purely for speed, the OLED model won’t be any faster, at least on paper. If you want to know how the M5 Pro and Max compare to each other, check out my previous video.
Size and Weight
When it comes to size and weight, though, this is where the new OLED design really shows.
The 14″ regular MacBook Pro is 0.61 inches thick and weighs 3.5 lbs with M5 Pro or 3.6 lbs with M5 Max. The 14″ OLED model is 0.59 inches thick, about 3% thinner, with a slightly smaller footprint too. More importantly, it weighs just 3.0 lbs with M5 Pro or 3.1 lbs with M5 Max, so it’s 14% lighter, or half a pound, either way.
The 16″ savings are even bigger. The regular 16″ is 0.66 inches thick and weighs 4.7 lbs with either chip. The 16″ OLED is 0.63 inches thick, about 5% thinner, and weighs 4.0 lbs with M5 Pro or 4.1 lbs with M5 Max. That’s 13-15% lighter, about two thirds of a pound!
Cooling and Thermals
Along with the body and weight differences, you can expect cooling and thermals to differ too. This is one aspect that could affect sustained chip performance. The regular M5 Pro and Max models benefit a lot from the 16-inch size, as the 14-inch body can’t fully dissipate the heat these chips put out.
The OLED MacBook Pro has a redesigned thermal system that, according to Apple, moves warm air away from the display and through the hinge. However, the lighter body also has less metal to soak up heat, so even though Apple says sustained M5 Pro and Max performance is maintained, we’ll have to wait for real-world testing to see if there is really no difference.
Either way, the 16-inch model is still the one to get if sustained performance matters. On both versions, going from 14″ to 16″ costs $300 by itself, but it forces you into some other upgrades as well, so the starting price is , and that forces you into the higher-tier Pro chip as well, so it’s $500 higher than the lowest priced 14” model.
Memory and Storage
Memory options are the same on both, so let’s move on to storage, where there is a slight difference.
Storage starts at 1TB for the M5 Pro and goes up to 4TB on both. The M5 Max starts at 2TB, but the regular model tops out at 8TB, which is already insanely expensive as a $3000 upgrade. But the OLED models go even more crazy with a 16TB option, which costs a whopping $7000, a first for any MacBook.
Interestingly, both 8 TB and 16 TB options come out to $500 per terabyte, so no discounts for ordering more. And if you max out a 16-inch OLED MacBook Pro with every option, it comes to a staggering $14,549, before tax of course.
External Display Support
When it comes to external displays, there is also a difference. The number of external displays is the same: up to 3 for the M5 Pro and up to 4 for the M5 Max, but the OLED MacBook Pros can support three or four 4K displays up to 165 Hz instead of just 144 Hz on the non-OLED models.
There is also Genlock support to synchronize display refresh with camera recordings, but Apple’s support page for Genlock mentions that MacBook Pro with M5 Pro or M5 Max is supported and makes no mention of just the OLED screen model, so I’m not sure if this is actually new or not.
Audio and Camera
When it comes to audio, both MacBook Pro models have a 6-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers and Spatial Audio, but the OLED MacBook Pro gets redesigned tweeters and woofers that Apple says delivers 50% deeper bass, plus improved audio with the lid closed. And as always, the 16-inch will sound better than the 14-inch thanks to its larger size and speakers.
Both have the 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, but the OLED model adds advanced video stabilization, which along with the stiffer hinge, helps keep the camera steady on video calls if you’re also using the touchscreen.
Battery Life and Charging
When it comes to battery life, the stated durations are the same between Mini-LED and OLED models, which is a good thing, as that means the OLED version doesn’t need to give up battery life for the better screen.
However, there is a small difference in battery capacity. The 14″ regular model has a 72.4 watt-hour battery, while the 14″ OLED has a 72.6 watt-hour battery, just slightly larger. Both 16″ models have a 100 watt-hour battery, but the OLED 16” has a 94 watt recommended minimum charging amount, compared to just 70 watts for the non-OLED 16”.
Summary: MiniLED vs OLED M5 Pro MacBook Pro
Alright, let’s summarize the pricing of each base model to see exactly what you get for your money.
If you upgrade from the $2500 14″ MacBook Pro with M5 Pro to the $2900 14″ OLED model with the same chip, or from the $3000 16” model to the $3400 OLED 16” model, paying an extra $400 gets you:
- A tandem OLED touchscreen with 10x the contrast, 2000 nits peak brightness, and Adobe RGB support. Also, the Dynamic Island instead of the notch, and slimmer display borders, leading to very slightly higher resolutions
- A redesigned thermal system, which supposedly maintains the same sustained performance
- 4K/165Hz external display support instead of 4K/144Hz when using 3 or 4 external displays, and possibly Genlock support as a new addition
- Better audio, including 50% deeper bass, improved clarity, and better closed-lid sound with redesigned speakers
- Better camera video stabilization when the screen is touched
- A redesigned hinge for more stability when the screen is touched
- The same battery life, though with slightly larger battery capacity
- A 13-15% lighter and slightly thinner machine
- And perhaps the biggest cherry on top: the glowing Apple logo on the back! … I’m not even joking… Ok, maybe half joking.
We can see that the $400 price difference is mainly for the screen, touch, and lighter design. If you work with HDR video or photos, or you just want the best screen and the lightest 14″ Pro, that’s a pretty reasonable price. But if you don’t care about touch and your work isn’t color-critical, the regular model gives you the exact same performance for $400 less.
Here’s another interesting comparison: the 14″ OLED M5 Pro at $2900 vs the 16″ regular M5 Pro at $3000. For just $100 more, the regular 16″ gives you a 30% larger screen, the higher-tier M5 Pro chip, better sustained performance, a 38% larger battery, and a 140 watt adapter. But it’s 57% heavier at 4.7 lbs vs 3.0 lbs, and you give up the OLED touchscreen. So if you value performance and screen size over portability and touch, the regular 16″ is arguably the better deal.
Summary: MiniLED vs OLED M5 Max MacBook Pro
For the M5 Max, the OLED premium is the same $400: $4100 vs $4500 for the 14″, or $4400 vs $4800 for the 16″.
At these prices, the $400 is a smaller percentage of the total, under 10%, and M5 Max buyers are the most likely to be doing color-critical video and photo work where the OLED screen can really make a difference. So if you’re already spending over $4000, the OLED model is probably worth it.
And just like before, if you’re paying for the M5 Max, seriously consider spending the extra $300 for the 16″ so you can get the most out of the performance you paid for.
