Best Buy includes $100 gift card with MacBook Pro pre-orders
The new MacBook Pro featuring a PROLED XDR touch screen and Tandem OLED technology is now available for pre-order in the United States at a base price of $2,899, with Best Buy automatically attaching a $100 gift card to the digital cart, as reported by merca2.es.
This hidden 3.4% discount is absorbed entirely by the retailer rather than Apple, which keeps its official tariff intact to protect its pricing structure. Best Buy applies the $100 incentive automatically when customers reserve the 14-inch or 16-inch configurations with PROLED XDR panels, or the 14-inch model powered by the M6 chip.
Beyond the hardware itself, the pre-order push highlights a fierce retail battle for customer acquisition rather than hardware margins. Retailers absorb the cost of the gift card to secure the initial order, counting on subsequent accessory sales, extended warranties, and device trade-ins down the line. According to merca2.es, the timeline creates intense pressure ahead of the year-end shopping season, leaving distributors scrambling to secure inventory for December delivery.
Display Technology and Pricing Across Markets
The physical rollout brings distinct regional pricing and hardware variations. As reported by El Periódico, the new machines arrive in stores on November 6, offering 14-inch and 16-inch professional formats equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple lists the 14-inch model with the M5 Pro starting at 3,349 euros in Europe, while the 16-inch model with the M5 Max begins at 5,649 euros.
The centerpiece of the update is the PROLED XDR panel, which achieves up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness in HDR and SDR, a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and a variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz. Applesfera notes that the lineup spans from a 14-inch M6 entry model starting at 2,329 euros up to the higher-tier configurations carrying the new touch interface.
The company now positions the touch-enabled macOS interface as a complement to creative workflows, supported by a redesigned hinge for stability and a lighter chassis that reduces the weight of the 14-inch model to 1.38 kilograms and the 16-inch model to 1.82 kilograms, as detailed by El Periódico.
MacBook Pro Supports Professional Workflows and Recycled Materials
In practical demonstrations organized in Los Angeles, Xataka observed the touch-enabled MacBook Pro operating in specialized environments, including virtual production sets using Lightcraft, multi-camera 3D reconstructions with 4D Gaussian Splatting, and music production sessions in Logic Pro where engineers utilized built-in microphones and multi-touch gestures.
On the environmental front, Apple states that the new MacBook Pro is manufactured with 55% recycled materials, including 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100% recycled cobalt in the battery, aiming toward the company’s 2030 carbon-neutrality goal.
The upcoming release will test whether high-end buyers accept the touch interface and premium pricing, or if the hardware prompts direct cannibalization with the iPad Pro. Retailers in Europe, meanwhile, prepare for the November launch without promotional gift cards on the table, leaving chains like El Corte Inglés and MediaMarkt to compete under standard manufacturer pricing.