Apple has unveiled its first-ever touchscreen MacBook Pro. The company seems a bit confused about the naming, calling it the “MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display,” which is tough to remember. If you look past that and review the full spec sheets, you might ask a genuine question: what are the differences between the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions?
Given that Apple continues to sell both variants together, that’s a genuine question. Luckily, you don’t have to spend more time lining up the spec sheets side by side and hunting for differences hidden in the fine print. I took that bullet for you. Here’s everything that’s different between the PROLED XDR Display and the regular MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display vs. MacBook Pro (16-inch): Tech specs at a glance
| MacBook Pro 16″ PROLED XDR Display (M5 Max) | MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Max) |
| Space Black, Silver | Space Black, Silver |
| 41.4 cm / 16.3″ (diagonal) tandem OLED PROLED XDR display with Touch, 3472×2266 pixels, 1,000 nits sustained full-screen / 2,000 nits peak HDR, Wide color (P3 + Adobe RGB), True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz | 41.05 cm / 16.2″ (diagonal) mini-LED backlit Liquid Retina XDR display, 3456×2234 pixels, 1,000 nits sustained full-screen / 1,600 nits peak HDR, Wide color (P3), True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz |
| Apple M5 Max chip: 18-core CPU (6 super, 12 performance), up to 40-core GPU, Neural Accelerators, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, up to 614GB/s memory bandwidth | Apple M5 Max chip: 18-core CPU (6 super, 12 performance), up to 40-core GPU, Neural Accelerators, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 614GB/s memory bandwidth |
| Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; two video encode engines; two ProRes encode and decode engines; AV1 decode | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; two video encode engines; two ProRes encode and decode engines; AV1 decode |
| Supported (integrated into apps with privacy, powers Siri AI) | Supported (integrated into apps with privacy, powers Siri AI) |
| 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB unified memory | 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB unified memory |
| 2TB, 4TB, 8TB, or 16TB SSD | 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD |
| Height: 1.60 cm (0.63″) Width: 35.55 cm (14.0″) Depth: 24.42 cm (9.62″) Weight: 1.84 kg (4.1 lb.) | Height: 1.68 cm (0.66″) Width: 35.57 cm (14.01″) Depth: 24.81 cm (9.77″) Weight: 2.15 kg (4.7 lb.) |
| 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support, 1080p HD video, advanced ISP with computational video, advanced video stabilization | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support, 1080p HD video, advanced ISP with computational video |
| High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-canceling woofers, wide stereo, Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos with AirPods dynamic head tracking), three-mic array with directional beamforming, Voice Isolation, 3.5 mm jack, multichannel HDMI audio | High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, wide stereo, Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos with AirPods dynamic head tracking), three-mic array with directional beamforming, Voice Isolation, 3.5 mm jack, multichannel HDMI audio |
| Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, ambient light sensor, and Force Touch trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, ambient light sensor, and Force Touch trackpad |
| Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6 | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6 |
| Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot |
| Up to 16h wireless web, up to 22h video streaming, 100Wh battery, 140W USB-C Power Adapter, fast-charge capable | Up to 16h wireless web, up to 22h video streaming, 100Wh battery, 140W USB-C Power Adapter, fast-charge capable |
The majority of the differences revolve around the touchscreen
The biggest difference sits right on the front. The new PROLED version switches to a 16.3-inch tandem OLED panel with full touch support, while the standard model keeps the familiar 16.2-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR.
The tandem OLED display (one stacked on top of another) boosts peak brightness to 2,000 nits, well above the 1,600 nits on the non-touchscreen version. It also adds Adobe RGB and P3 color gamuts for color-sensitive workflows.
In practice, the touchscreen MacBook Pro’s screen should produce far richer colors, deeper blacks, and respond quickly, making it the superior choice for consuming and, more importantly, creating all sorts of content (videos, designs, illustrations, 3D models, etc.).
You also get the Dynamic Island on the touchscreen version versus the traditional notch on the regular one. The PROLED model also feels different in the hand. It’s thinner and a full 0.6 pounds lighter (4.1 lb versus 4.7 lb), something you’ll notice when carrying it in hand or in a backpack.
Storage is yet another upgrade. The touch model climbs to a 16TB SSD option, while the non-touch tops out at 8TB. Everything else, including the M5 Max chip, memory configs, ports, keyboard, speakers, and battery claims, stays essentially the same.
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display vs. MacBook Pro (14-inch): Tech specs at a glance
| MacBook Pro 14″ PROLED XDR Display (M5 Pro) | MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Pro) |
| Space Black, Silver | Space Black, Silver |
| 36.1 cm / 14.2″ (diagonal) tandem OLED PROLED XDR display with Touch, 3024×1986 pixels, 1,000 nits sustained full-screen / 2,000 nits peak HDR brightness, Wide color (P3 + Adobe RGB), True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz | 35.97 cm / 14.2″ (diagonal) mini-LED backlit Liquid Retina XDR display, 3024×1964 pixels, 1,000 nits sustained full-screen / 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, Wide color (P3), True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz |
| Apple M5 Pro chip: 18-core CPU (6 super cores, 12 performance cores), 20-core GPU, Neural Accelerators, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 307GB/s memory bandwidth | Apple M5 Pro chip: 15-core CPU (5 super cores, 10 performance cores), 16-core GPU, Neural Accelerators, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 307GB/s memory bandwidth |
| Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; video encode engine; ProRes encode and decode engine; AV1 decode | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; video encode engine; ProRes encode and decode engine; AV1 decode |
| Supported (integrated into apps with privacy, powers Siri AI) | Supported (integrated into apps with privacy, powers Siri AI) |
| 24GB, 48GB, or 64GB unified memory | 24GB, 48GB, or 64GB unified memory |
| 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD | 1TB or 2TB SSD |
| Height: 1.50 cm (0.59″) Width: 31.08 cm (12.24″) Depth: 21.63 cm (8.52″) Weight: 1.38 kg (3.0 lb.) | Height: 1.55 cm (0.61″) Width: 31.26 cm (12.31″) Depth: 22.12 cm (8.71″) Weight: 1.60 kg (3.53 lb.) |
| 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support, 1080p HD video, advanced ISP with computational video, advanced video stabilization | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support, 1080p HD video, advanced ISP with computational video |
| High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, wide stereo, Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos with AirPods dynamic head tracking), three-mic array with directional beamforming, Voice Isolation, 3.5 mm jack, multichannel HDMI audio | High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-canceling woofers, wide stereo, Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos with AirPods dynamic head tracking), three-mic array with directional beamforming, Voice Isolation, 3.5 mm jack, multichannel HDMI audio |
| Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, ambient light sensor, and Force Touch trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, ambient light sensor, and Force Touch trackpad |
| Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6, Thread | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6, Thread |
| Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot |
| Up to 14h wireless web, up to 22h video streaming, 72.6Wh battery, 70W USB-C Power Adapter (configurable), fast-charge capable | Up to 14h wireless web, up to 22h video streaming, 72.4Wh battery, 70W USB-C Power Adapter, fast-charge capable |
The 14-inch touchscreen MacBook Pro gets a more powerful chip
The screen difference is similar here. The PROLED XDR Display version gets a tandem OLED panel with higher brightness, more accurate colors, and a richer visual experience in general. However, unlike the 16-inch variants, the smaller touchscreen version gets a more powerful chipset.
The PROLED model gets the more capable M5 Pro configuration with an 18-core CPU (6 performance + 12 efficiency) and 20-core GPU. The standard 14-inch M5 Pro is cut down to a 15-core CPU (5+10) and a 16-core GPU. This should result in better performance under sustained workloads. I mean heavy Final Cut timelines, 3D designs, or gaming; the smaller touchscreen MacBook can handle everything better.
Storage ceilings follow the same pattern. The OLED version opens the door to TB, which is twice what the conventional model offers. If you keep large media libraries or local caches on the machine itself, that difference is material.
Beyond these, the touchscreen variant is lighter, thinner, and narrower. Apple managed to add a touch layer while still producing a sleeker chassis.
Camera and battery show smaller but noticeable gaps. The PROLED machine adds advanced video stabilization. Battery capacity is essentially identical (72.6 Wh vs 72.4 Wh), though the claimed runtimes match.
| Size & Chip | Regular (Liquid Retina XDR) | Touchscreen (PROLED XDR) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-inch M5 Pro | $2,499 | $2,899 | +$400 |
| 14-inch M5 Max | $4,099 | $4,499 | +$400 |
| 16-inch M5 Pro | $2,999 | $3,399 | +$400 |
| 16-inch M5 Max | $4,399 | $4,799 | +$400 |
It’s about OLED vs. Mini LED screen, after all
The real choice is therefore whether you value the OLED’s contrast, color volume, and touchscreen enough to accept the higher-spec silicon, extra storage headroom, and lighter chassis that come with it, or whether the classic mini-LED Liquid Retina experience (and its lower entry price) still feels like the more viable option to you.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- How to pre-order Apple’s new touchscreen MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display
- The new OLED MacBook Pro brings back Apple’s iconic glowing logo after a decade
- The MacBook Pro finally gets a touchscreen with M5 Pro muscle and an eye-watering price
- M6 iMac vs. M4 iMac: Skipping the M5 made a bigger difference than I expected
