Apple's new MacBook Pro brings back a feature the company dropped a decade ago: a glowing logo on the lid. According to MacRumors, the illuminated Apple logo returns to the MacBook Pro for the first time in ten years, appearing on the model Apple introduced on Wednesday with its PROLED XDR Display.
Why it disappeared
MacRumors reports that Apple removed the illuminated rear logo with the 2016 MacBook Pro redesign and has used a non-illuminated version ever since. The older glowing logo borrowed its light from the display's backlight, which shone through the lid.
A different approach for OLED
The new MacBook Pro uses an OLED panel, where each pixel produces its own light and there is no separate backlight. That means the old method cannot simply be carried over, and a different way of lighting the logo is needed. MacRumors says its report does not explain how Apple achieves the effect, and Apple has not detailed the mechanism in the material cited here.
Pricing and context
The new MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model, as MacRumors lists them. The touchscreen redesign is the headline change, and the returning logo adds a visible design cue to the lid.
Apple's hardware chief John Ternus also referenced the glow on X on Wednesday, posting that the company was "glowing with excitement over the new MacBook Pro" and adding that people have to touch it to believe it, according to the MacRumors article.
What to watch
Details such as how bright the logo is, whether it can be switched off, and how it affects battery life have not been addressed in the reporting available so far. Independent reviews and Apple's technical specifications should clarify those points as the new MacBook Pro models reach customers.
0 comments