Apple’s new MacBook Pro with the PROLED XDR display dims its screen using 240 Hz PWM flicker at brightness settings of 99% or lower. That’s the lab finding from Notebookcheck, which measured the 14-inch model. If you’re sensitive to flicker and bought one from Apple’s online store, you can still return it until January 8, 2027.
Most people won’t notice anything. Notebookcheck still rates the panel as the best laptop display you can buy right now, and it scored the review 92%. But AppleInsider reports that some new owners are getting eye strain and headaches. The outlet says Genius Bars it spoke to are fielding complaints. It adds that retailers are seeing returns a bit higher than normal, though it gave no numbers.
What Notebookcheck measured on the PROLED MacBook Pro
Notebookcheck tested a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip, 64GB of memory and 4TB of storage. It detected PWM flicker at 240 Hz with an amplitude of 56%. The flicker shows up at every brightness setting from 99% down.
The review is direct about who this affects:
The frequency of 240 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.
Notebookcheck says the panel also uses DC dimming. Even so, the 240 Hz flicker remains below full brightness. The 16-inch model uses the same PROLED XDR display technology, but Notebookcheck’s figures cover only the 14-inch.
A big drop from the Mini-LED model
The previous Mini-LED MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip measured 14,880 Hz PWM in Notebookcheck’s comparison table. That’s roughly 60 times the new model’s frequency.
The only stopgap: run at full brightness
According to Notebookcheck, flicker and PWM should disappear at the 100% brightness setting. That points to one workaround: keep the screen at maximum. Notebookcheck didn’t test this as a fix, but it follows from the threshold it measured. It also has costs. Battery life will drop, and a full-brightness screen can be uncomfortable in a dim room.
macOS has no PWM-off switch, unlike the iPhone 17
Apple already offers a fix on its phones. The iPhone 17 models added an accessibility toggle called Display Pulse Smoothing. It disables PWM for smoother dimming at low brightness. Apple notes that turning PWM off may affect low-brightness display performance.
That option is not in macOS as of November 10, per AppleInsider. Apple hadn’t publicly addressed the flicker reports as of November 11. Buyers paying $2,899 or more for a laptop can fairly expect the same choice Apple gives iPhone 17 owners.
Your return window for the PROLED MacBook Pro
Apple’s holiday return policy covers eligible products received from the Apple Store Online between November 6 and December 25, 2026. Those can be returned through January 8, 2027. The standard window is 14 days. PROLED units started arriving on November 6, so online buyers fall inside the holiday window. Our full guide to Apple’s holiday return policy has the details.
Apple’s policy page names the online store only. If you bought at an Apple Store, check with Apple directly. Third-party retailers set their own rules, so check the retailer’s policy before you count on a refund.
AppleInsider’s advice for people who already know they’re sensitive to PWM is to skip this model and stick with earlier ones. If you’ve bought one and get headaches or eye strain, stop using it. See a doctor if the symptoms persist.
Models and US pricing
Apple sells the PROLED XDR MacBook Pro in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. Deliveries began on Friday, November 6.
- 14-inch, M5 Pro: from $2,899
- 16-inch, M5 Pro: from $3,399
- 14-inch, M5 Max: from $4,499
Keeping yours? Here’s how to turn off the touchscreen on the new MacBook Pro.
Sources: Notebookcheck, AppleInsider, Apple Newsroom, Apple returns and refunds policy, AppleInsider (Display Pulse Smoothing)
