Apple will hold a launch event focused on the MacBook Pro on October 28 at 1PM ET in Los Angeles, the company’s second product showcase in a short span following its Welcome Home event and the iPhone Duo announcement. The gathering, billed as the “Pro and tell” event, is expected to center on the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro. Nothing has been confirmed by Apple, but the rumor mill has pointed toward such a device since at least early 2023.
The touchscreen MacBook Pro would be Apple’s first touchscreen laptop and its first OLED laptop. The name MacBook Ultra has circulated, though Apple is seen as unlikely to rebrand its flagship laptop line. The machine is said to include an iPhone-style Dynamic Island, but it is not expected to bring a dramatic overhaul of the macOS interface or amount to an iPad hybrid. Possible additions include a magnification effect when the screen is touched and new gesture controls in native apps.
On chips, the high-end touchscreen model is expected to stay with the M5 series, specifically the M5 Pro and M5 Max, with no M6 Pro or Max possibly arriving. Apple may instead wait until it introduces the M7 next year to upgrade its higher-end processors. A base MacBook Pro could still move up from the M5 following the M6 debut in the Mac Mini in August. That model might get a slight redesign with a hole-punch style camera, and MacBook Pro prices are expected to rise as component shortages affect the Apple lineup.
The iMac is also expected to receive an M6 update nearly two years after its last revision, skipping the M5 entirely. No major changes beyond that are anticipated, though new color options are a possibility, as they were with the M4 model.
Another device that could appear is an OLED iPad Mini, a long-rumored product. Apart from the iPad Pro, Apple’s tablet lineup has used LCDs until now, and the new OLED iPad could begin a wider transition for the product line. The screen upgrade may add $100 to the cost. The tablet is not expected to be a significant redesign otherwise, but a processor upgrade from the aging A17 to the A20 that debuted with the iPhone 18 is anticipated.
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