Apple's October 28th Event Could Finally Deliver the Touchscreen MacBook Pro
The "Pro and tell" event may also bring an OLED iPad Mini and M6 updates to the MacBook Pro and iMac, according to The Verge.
Apple has set October 28th at 1PM ET for an event in Los Angeles called "Pro and tell," and the name is doing a lot of work: this looks like the MacBook Pro's moment, according to The Verge. After a Welcome Home event and an iPhone Duo launch in recent memory, Apple is moving fast through its fall release calendar, and the headline item this time may be a rumor that's been circulating since early 2023 — a touchscreen MacBook Pro.
Nothing is official yet, but the signs point to Apple finally shipping the first touchscreen, first OLED laptop in its history. The "MacBook Ultra" name has made the rounds online, but a rebrand of Apple's flagship laptop line seems unlikely. What's more plausible is a MacBook Pro that keeps its name and adds a screen you can actually touch.
The touchscreen laptop, finally
Reports suggest the new MacBook Pro will borrow a visual cue from the iPhone, incorporating something like a Dynamic Island into its display. But don't expect Apple to turn macOS into a tablet interface. The Verge reports this won't be some iPad hybrid — Apple appears to be adding touch capability without rewriting how the Mac works. Expect targeted additions instead: a magnification effect when you tap the screen, and new gesture controls built into native apps. That's reportedly the extent of the interface changes.
Chip-wise, the touchscreen model is expected to stick with the current M5 generation, specifically the M5 Pro and M5 Max. There may not be an M6 Pro or M6 Max at all. Instead, Apple could be saving its next real silicon jump for the M7, expected sometime next year. In other words, the marquee new feature here is the screen itself, not the processor inside it.
A separate M6 refresh for the base MacBook Pro
The touchscreen model isn't the only MacBook Pro news expected. The entry-level MacBook Pro could be getting bumped up to the M6 chip, following that processor's debut in the Mac Mini back in August. Along with the new chip, that model might see a modest redesign, including a hole-punch camera similar to what's shown up on other recent Apple hardware.
The catch: these updates are expected to come with higher prices, as component shortages work their way through Apple's supply chain and, apparently, its pricing decisions.
The iMac gets its turn, too
Apple's all-in-one desktop is due for an update as well, nearly two years after its last revision. According to The Verge, the iMac looks set to skip the M5 generation entirely and jump straight to M6. Don't expect much else to change. The report notes new color options could arrive, mirroring what happened when the M4 iMac launched, but otherwise this looks like a straightforward chip refresh rather than a redesign.
OLED comes to the iPad Mini
The other major rumor attached to this event is an OLED screen for the iPad Mini. Right now, only the iPad Pro in Apple's tablet lineup uses OLED technology; everything else, including the Mini, still runs on LCD. If Apple does bring OLED to the Mini, it could be the first step toward phasing out LCD screens across the entire iPad line.
That upgrade likely won't come free. The Verge reports the OLED display could add $100 to the iPad Mini's price. Beyond the screen, don't expect a major redesign — but the Mini is expected to finally move past its aging A17 chip to the A20, the processor that debuted in the iPhone 18.
Taken together, this event reads less like one blockbuster reveal and more like Apple clearing a backlog of long-delayed upgrades: a touchscreen Mac that's been rumored for years, an OLED iPad Mini closing the gap with the Pro line, and routine chip bumps for the base MacBook Pro and iMac. We'll know for certain what's real on October 28th.
