Apple's new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is landing well with reviewers. Tom's Hardware calls the screen "the screen that every Mac deserves," crediting a stack of smaller refinements — including a lighter chassis and, for the first time on a Mac, touch functionality — that add up to a major generational upgrade. The caveat is equally clear: the machine is exceptionally expensive, putting it out of reach for much of Apple's traditional pro audience.

Apple, for its part, is marketing the touchscreen hard. The company enlisted British musician Labrinth to compose a new song live during an overnight livestream at the Apple Tower Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, using the touchscreen MacBook Pro and Logic Pro as the centerpiece of the session, per MacRumors.

The pairing of review verdict and stunt says a lot about Apple's positioning. Touch on macOS has been a years-long holdout, and demonstrating it through a professional creative workflow — rather than casual browsing — frames the feature as a pro tool, not an iPad overlap. The PROLED panel gives Apple a headline display spec to anchor the pitch.

Whether buyers bite depends on that price tag. The hardware case looks strong; the value case is the open question.