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Apple is expected to unveil 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED displays on Wednesday, October 28, according to MacRumors, which cites Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The reports are unconfirmed by Apple. Invitees to an Apple event in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific Time will reportedly get hands-on time after a press release announces the laptops.
Key facts
- Date: Wednesday, October 28, with an event in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Sizes and chips: 14-inch and 16-inch models with the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, released in March.
- Design: similar to current models, but lighter, with a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.
- Price: current mini-LED models start at $2,499 (14-inch) and $2,999 (16-inch). New models could start up to $500 higher, per MacRumors.
- Software: macOS Golden Gate is said to include a touch-aware interface.
How touch will work
Gurman reports that the software will adapt to how people are using the machine. In his words, the system will present controls depending on whether someone has been touching the display or using the trackpad. Touching a button can bring up a menu around the finger, and the Dock and Menu Bar have been optimized for touch.
Apple will reportedly treat touch as an extra input method alongside the keyboard and trackpad, not a replacement for them.
Lineup and pricing
The current mini-LED models will stay on sale for now and will eventually be discontinued, Gurman said. 9to5Mac expects a three-tier lineup: a base 14-inch model with an M6 chip, the current M5 Pro and M5 Max models in the middle, and the OLED touchscreen models on top. It cites Omdia as saying the mini-LED displays will stay in production through 2028.
The outlets differ on how much more the new models will cost. MacRumors says up to $500 above current prices. 9to5Mac guesses $2,999 and $3,499, which would be $500 higher, and notes these figures are its own estimates. It adds that they could start higher, since Gurman describes the price as significantly higher. 9to5Mac also expects the M6 14-inch to hold at $1,999, which is likewise a projection.
9to5Mac also says the redesign could bring cellular support and calls it the first major overhaul of the MacBook Pro since 2021. That detail is described only as a possibility.
What to watch
The first confirmation is Apple's own announcement on October 28: official prices, availability dates and whether the lineup matches the reports. Also worth watching is how macOS Golden Gate handles touch, since Apple has long avoided touchscreens on its laptops, and whether the M6 base model appears alongside the OLED machines.
