The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display starts at $3,999 CAD for the 14-inch model with an M5 Pro chip, and Apple says it reaches customers in Canada from Friday, November 6. Pre-orders opened on October 28.
Apple calls it the first Mac with a touch screen. It pairs a tandem OLED display with M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, up to 128GB of unified memory, storage configurable up to 16TB and, according to Apple, up to 24 hours of battery life. It comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes and is sold through apple.com/ca, the Apple Store app, Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers.
What is the PROLED XDR display?
It is Apple’s name for a tandem OLED panel with two self-illuminating pixel layers. Apple says the design avoids blooming and halos and keeps brightness even across the screen. The key figures from Apple:
- Up to 2000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness
- A 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio
- A 120Hz variable refresh rate, going as low as 10Hz to save power
- P3 and Adobe RGB colour, with more than 80 percent Rec. 2020 coverage
- A 14.2-inch screen on the 14-inch model and 16.3-inch on the 16-inch model
- An optional nano-texture finish, now etched into the cover glass, to cut glare
Apple also describes factory calibration of every panel, a display engine that adjusts each pixel in real time, and reference modes for cinema, photography, print and design. These are Apple’s own claims and no independent measurements have been published yet.
How does touch work on a Mac?
The touch sensor is built into the display panel instead of sitting on top of it, which Apple says lowers latency. You can swipe to scroll, pinch to zoom, drag and drop slides, and double-tap a window to fill the screen. A redesigned hinge is meant to keep the screen steady when you tap it.
Apple says macOS turns touches into clicks automatically, so many existing apps work right away. Its own Pixelmator Pro, Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro get touch controls, including a multi-touch piano keyboard in Logic Pro. Apple also lists Notion, Canva, Zoom, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve and Blender among apps that will use touch. The Dynamic Island also comes to the Mac, as the home for Spotlight and Live Activities.
How thin, light and powerful is it?
The 14-inch model weighs 3 pounds, half a pound less than before, and the 16-inch weighs 4 pounds, which is 0.7 pounds lighter. The 16-inch is nearly a millimeter thinner and the 14-inch half a millimeter thinner, according to Apple.
Other details from the announcement:
- Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe and a headphone jack
- Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Touch ID
- A 12MP Center Stage camera and studio-quality mics
- A six-speaker system with 50 percent deeper bass
- Fast charging to 50 percent in 30 minutes
- Up to three external displays with M5 Pro, and up to four with M5 Max
- macOS 27 on arrival
How much does it cost in Canada?
Canadian starting prices, with education pricing in brackets:
- 14-inch, M5 Pro: $3,999 CAD ($3,789 CAD)
- 16-inch, M5 Pro: $4,799 CAD ($4,519 CAD)
- 14-inch, M5 Max: $6,299 CAD ($5,869 CAD)
- 16-inch, M5 Max: $6,599 CAD ($6,189 CAD)
In the United States the same four models start at $2,899, $3,399, $4,499 and $4,799 USD. Prices rise with memory and storage upgrades, which Apple lists on its configuration page.
Power adapters in Canada cost $79 CAD (70W), $95 CAD (96W) and $129 CAD (140W), and the World Travel Adapter Kit is $49 CAD. Apple Creator Studio is $17.99 CAD per month or $179 CAD per year, with three months free when you buy a new Mac.
Who it suits
Photographers, colourists and video editors. The Adobe RGB and P3 coverage, calibration and reference modes target colour-critical work away from a desk. Whether it holds up against a dedicated reference monitor is something reviews will need to show.
Musicians, illustrators and 3D artists. Playing instruments or drawing straight on the screen is the new part. Check that your main apps support touch before paying for it.
Frequent travellers. Lighter bodies and the claimed 24 hours of battery life matter if the laptop lives in a bag. Apple notes that battery life varies by use and configuration.
Who should wait. If you do not need this display, Apple announced a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 on October 27, starting at $1,999 USD and also arriving November 6. We did not find a Canadian price for it in the sources we read, so check Apple Canada before comparing.
What is still unknown?
Independent battery tests and screen measurements are not out yet, and Apple has not said how many touch-ready third-party apps will be ready on day one. Some apps are listed as arriving later this year.
Before you order, open apple.com/ca/macbook-pro, choose your chip, memory and storage, and compare the final configured price with the starting prices above.
