Apple 'Pro and tell' Event: Touchscreen MacBook Pro Expected

Apple has scheduled its "Pro and tell" event for October 28 at 1PM ET in Los Angeles, and the focus appears to be the MacBook Pro. Nothing is confirmed, but the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro looks likely to finally arrive.

The touchscreen MacBook Pro

An OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro has been in the rumor mill since at least early 2023. If it launches, it would be Apple's first touchscreen laptop and its first OLED laptop. It is also said to include an iPhone-style Dynamic Island.

Don't expect macOS to be reinvented. The machine is not supposed to be an iPad hybrid, and touch features may be limited to a few flourishes, such as a magnification effect when you touch the screen or new gesture controls in native apps. The name MacBook Ultra has circulated, but Apple is unlikely to rebrand its flagship laptop line.

The high-end model is expected to stay on the M5 family, specifically the M5 Pro and M5 Max. An M6 Pro or Max may not appear at all, as Apple could wait until the M7 next year to upgrade its higher-end chips.

M6 updates and a new iPad Mini

The base MacBook Pro could still move up from the M5 to the M6, which debuted in the Mac Mini in August. It may also get a slight redesign with a hole-punch style camera. Price increases are expected, as component shortages ripple through Apple's lineup.

The iMac is also expected to get an M6 update nearly two years after its last revision, skipping the M5 entirely. Beyond the chip, changes should be minimal, though new color options are possible, as with the M4 model.

The OLED iPad Mini is another long-rumored product that may debut. Apart from the iPad Pro, Apple's tablets still use LCDs, so this could start a broader shift. The screen upgrade may add $100 to the price. Otherwise the redesign is likely modest, with a processor jump from the aging A17 to the A20 that debuted with the iPhone 18.

The event follows the Welcome Home event and the iPhone Duo announcement, making it Apple's third launch in a short span.