Apple Expected to Launch Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro on Oct. 28

Apple plans to unveil 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED displays on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Guests invited to Apple's "Pro and tell" event in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific Time will likely get hands-on time with the laptops after they are announced in a press release.

What to expect

Gurman says the new machines will look similar to the current MacBook Pro, but they should weigh less and replace the notch at the top of the screen with a Dynamic Island. He previously reported that the laptops will use Apple's existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which launched in March.

The more expensive OLED panel is expected to push prices up. In the U.S., the current mini-LED models with M5 Pro and M5 Max start at $2,499 for the 14-inch and $2,999 for the 16-inch. Starting prices for the new models could be as much as $500 higher.

A touch interface for macOS

The software side is said to be macOS Golden Gate, which reportedly includes a "dynamic interface" for touch input. "The system will take previous interactions into account, presenting controls based on whether someone has been touching the display or using the trackpad," Gurman explained. Touching a button can also bring up a menu around the user's finger, and the Dock and Menu Bar have been optimized for touch.

Apple will reportedly position touch as an additional input method, to be used when it makes sense alongside the keyboard and trackpad, rather than as a replacement for either.

The current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED displays will stay in Apple's lineup for now, Gurman added, but they are expected to be discontinued eventually. For buyers, that means a choice between a cheaper existing model and a pricier touchscreen redesign running the same chips.