Apple's Oct. 28 event: touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro rumored

Apple has confirmed an event called “Pro and Tell” for October 28 in Los Angeles. Per Engadget, it is a briefing for press and creators rather than a traditional keynote, and it is Apple’s third product event of the season. Apple has not said what it will show, but reports point to new Macs and an iPad mini.

Gizmochina reports the event starts at 10 AM Pacific and says Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak confirmed it. Everything below about hardware is rumor.

What is rumored

• Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported an OLED model that would be Apple’s first Mac with a touchscreen. It would stay at 14 and 16 inches, be thinner and lighter, and swap the notch for a hole-punch cutout with a Dynamic Island. Gizmochina adds that a reinforced hinge could steady the screen during touch use, and that touch is expected to complement the keyboard and trackpad rather than replace them.
• Chips for that model: Gurman’s sources say Apple will keep the M5 Pro and M5 Max here instead of moving to the M6 family. A refresh with M7 Pro and M7 Max is rumored for 2027.
• Price and lineup: Macworld reports it will not be cheap and is probably not a direct successor to current models. It would more likely be a pricier addition, with the non-touch MacBook Pro staying on sale.
• M6 Macs: The M6 debuted in August in the latest Mac mini. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro is the leading candidate to get it, with no design change expected. The 24-inch iMac, which still uses the M4 from 2024, is also tipped for an M6 update. Engadget says the M6 has a dual 16-core Neural Engine and that new colors are possible, while the design stays the same.
• iPad mini: The next model is reportedly getting an OLED display for the first time, which would make it the first non-Pro iPad with one. Engadget and Gizmochina both cite an A20 Pro chip, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo. Other rumored changes are thinner bezels, a front camera moved for landscape use, and some water resistance. Gizmochina ties the water resistance to a redesigned speaker system.

Gizmochina says the new products could open for preorder on October 28, with sales possibly starting November 6. That timing is not confirmed.

Why it matters

If the reports hold, the MacBook Pro would see its biggest redesign since the models introduced in 2021, according to Engadget. A touchscreen would also mark a break from the Mac’s keyboard-and-trackpad-only approach.

The iPad mini has a clear gap to close. It still runs the A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro and is known for heating up a lot, per Engadget. Gizmochina notes the OLED panel and other changes may push the price above the $599 launch price of its predecessor in the US.

What we don’t know yet

Apple has not confirmed any specifications, prices or product names. Whether the touchscreen MacBook Pro replaces or sits alongside current models, and what any of these products will cost, will only be settled on October 28.