The introduction of a touchscreen display on the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR raises concerns about how quickly the screen will accumulate oily smudges and fingerprints. Unlike previous Apple laptops, users can now directly tap and swipe on the screen much like an iPad or iPhone.
The Challenge of Skin Oils and Screen Care
Normal keyboard use naturally builds up skin oils, and closing the laptop presses those keys directly against the glass, leaving behind a ghostly grid of gunk. While users can resort to microfiber cloths and screen-cleaning sprays like Whoosh, the issue requires ongoing maintenance.
The new laptop features the same oleophobic coating designed to minimize fingerprints that Apple uses on its iPhones, iPads, and the announced HomeView. Testing will ultimately reveal how effective this surface treatment is on the larger PROLED XDR display, though Apple still sells its $9 Polishing Cloth separately.
Touchscreens and the Photographer’s Dilemma
Touchscreen Apple laptops have been anticipated since the debut of the iPad and iPhone, which trained a generation to interact directly with screens. Apple previously experimented with laptop touch interfaces through the Touch Bar before phasing it out.
For photographers who want the best possible screen, the OLED panel offers truly black blacks, vibrant colors, 2,000-nit brightness for bright light use, and a wider color gamut covering both P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces. However, editing photos and removing dust spots becomes challenging when a user mistakes an actual screen smudge for a speck of dust on the image.
Purchasing the new MacBook Pro means paying for the OLED quality whether the touchscreen feature is used or not. The presence of touch capability naturally encourages more skin-to-glass contact when zooming in on maps or dismissing notifications, leaving laptop displays in constant need of cleaning.
