The new MacBook Pro brings with it a bunch of firsts for Apple laptops, the two flashiest being an OLED display and touchscreen functionality. But as an image-accuracy enthusiast, trained calibrator, and resident display expert, what excites me most about the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is the technology it uses to display an accurate picture. It’s the first laptop, and only the second product overall, to support Apple CMF 2026 color modes. It could be the future for displays.
CMFs, or color-matching functions, mathematically represent how we perceive color, and there are a few different variations. The specification that’s been the standard for years is CIE 1931 (CIE stands for Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage, or International Commission on Illumination). For nearly a century, CIE 1931 has been a reliable calibration target, and most of the reference modes on the new MacBook use it.
But with the development of new display technologies over the past 20 years that have ultra-narrow band spectra — such as OLED, LEDs with KSF phosphors, and quantum dots — CIE 1931’s shortcomings are increasingly apparent. Even when calibrated to the same D65 white point, the same image on an OLED and quantum dot LED can look identical to one person, but different to another because of biological variations in our eyes. We all have small discrepancies in our eyes — such as the sensitivity of the cones in our eyes, which allow us to see color — and those can change as we age. CIE 1931 doesn’t properly handle that and was created based on only 17 test subjects. It’s not ideal in a professional setting where content needs to look the same regardless of the screen technology it’s on or who’s viewing it. Apple CMF 2026 addresses that, so that displays look the same regardless of the technology they use.
Apple first included its new CMF on the Studio Display XDR, which I reviewed earlier this year and found to be an excellent, albeit expensive, monitor for color professionals because of Apple CMF 2026 and the reference color modes. But the fact that this technology is now on a laptop that’s portable and not just a standalone monitor living on a desk is a big help for professionals on the move.
As on the Studio Display XDR, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display has two Apple CMF 2026 reference modes — one for P3 color primaries and one that includes both P3 and Adobe RGB color primaries for more flexibility. Peak brightness with both HDR and SDR content is 2,000 nits (on the XDR monitor peak SDR luminance is up to 1,000 nits), and the True Tone setting automatically adjusts HDR tone mapping, brightness, and white point based on ambient lighting. (An option to disable True Tone is in Displays preferences.)
The MacBook doesn’t require using Apple CMF 2026, as there are 14 more reference color modes that use the CIE 1931 color space — it is still the standard, after all — including DICOM for medical imaging (which is cool, but only useful to those in the medical field). The MacBook also supports Apple Pro Display Calibrator, which includes three calibration methods to adjust the reference color modes, or a custom mode, if necessary. There are options for a full calibration or to fine-tune a calibration with the proper measurement gear, or to visually fine-tune the display.
Color science and display technologies have come a long way since 1931, when the CIE 1931 color space was established. Apple’s development of the Apple CMF 2026 and its standardization efforts — the company is currently working with a CIE technical committee on a proposed standard — is an important step to make sure current display technologies look the same to as many people as possible.
Extending support to the new MacBook expands the user base considerably (let’s face it, more people are buying a touchscreen MacBook, even at $2,900, than a $3,300 professional monitor). And more importantly, it gives professionals that can get the most out of it easier, portable access.
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