From the first ever touchscreen on Mac to the super bright and colourful 'PROLED' XDR display, there are quite a few candidates for the headline feature of Apple's new MacBook Pro. But judging by the reaction in the room during the launch in LA last week, the most popular addition might not be that new at all.
Readers of a certain vintage will remember the illuminated Apple logo. The light-up fruit used to adorn every Apple laptop, and was a (somewhat distracting) mainstay of cafes, trains and DJ performances. In 2015, Apple unceremoniously killed the illuminated logo, replacing it with a mirrored version. But as of last week, it's back – and it seems people are happy about it.
Now, the cynical among you might think the reason for the addition is to make the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display stand out as new in public. There's always something to differentiate a new Apple product from the previous generation, even if it's simply new colours. But from a distance, this new MacBook Pro looks almost identical to non PROLED models. How are we supposed to quietly show it off in a cafe? With the 'new' illuminated logo, of course!
But the less cynical among you might see this as yet another sign that under new CEO John Ternus, Apple is rediscovering its sense of fun. From the brand's wild new TikTok presence to the colourful (and cheap) MacBook Neo, Apple seems to be stepping outside of its space grey prison and embracing a sense of friendliness we haven't seen for years. And it's going down well.
Apple made the right choice to bring the illuminated logo back! It is the most iconic part of any MacBook! John Ternus is the man! https://t.co/HYHh5IBGeHOctober 29, 2026
illuminated apple logo is back. https://t.co/EwE9BvPpbeOctober 28, 2026
We'll be sharing our comprehensive thoughts on the new MacBook Pro once we've got out hands on it in the coming days. In the meantime, take a look at my first impressions from LA, and why that touchscreen might make more sense than you think.
