iFixit teardown reveals how the glowing logo works on the PROLED MacBook Pro

The glowing logo returns with new technology

Apple brought back the glowing Apple logo with the PROLED MacBook Pro, its first touchscreen Mac, launched in October 2026. According to Engadget, iFixit has now published a teardown of the 14-inch model that explains how the light effect works.

Older LCD MacBooks lit the logo through a physical cutout that let the display's backlight shine through. Tandem OLED panels have no backlight, so Apple had to find another way. iFixit found a light strip with four LEDs layered behind the display, with the light reflected through a diffuser to illuminate the logo.

The logo itself has a coating that iFixit describes as being like a two-way mirror. When the display is off, the logo looks metallic and reflective. When the LEDs are on, light passes through it.

A fragile display complicates repairs

The glowing logo sits directly behind the OLED panel, which makes it hard to reach without damage. Apple Insider reports that when iFixit tried to open the PROLED XDR display, the glass layer broke apart and separated from the panel, ruining the screen.

That means a failed logo could require replacing the entire screen assembly. Many other parts are not user-replaceable either. The NAND storage chips, the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip, the SD-card reader and the HDMI port are all soldered to the logic board.

Some parts are easier to swap. The USB-C ports and the MagSafe 3 connector are screwed in rather than soldered, although iFixit says the logic board must come out first to reach them.

A more repairable MacBook than before

The teardown is not all negative. The bottom case is held by four screws instead of the eight used on the base M6 MacBook Pro, and it weighs 364 grams, 44 grams less than the previous design. Apple achieved the lighter build by using less aluminium in the base and lid, plus a slightly smaller trackpad.

iFixit scored the PROLED MacBook Pro five out of ten for repairability. That is one point higher than the earlier MacBook Pro design, but one point below the MacBook Neo.

Swapping parts also does not cause pairing problems. Apple Insider reports that the touchscreen, display and Touch ID sensor keep working even when the logic board is replaced with a different one.

Familiar design, familiar trade-offs

Beyond the display and the lighter body, the PROLED MacBook Pro is close to the standard M6 model. The hinge, reworked to reduce wobble when the screen is tapped, looks much like the one on older MacBook Pros, and the logic board is similar too.

The glowing logo is a callback to Apple laptops made between 1999 and 2015. Apple removed it in 2016, and Engadget notes the irony that it returned only after Apple stopped using backlit displays.

For buyers, the teardown shows a familiar pattern. The laptop is somewhat easier to open than its predecessor, but the new display and the logo behind it are delicate, and a small failure could mean a costly screen replacement.