Apple October 28 event could end the Mac’s no-touch rule

Apple confirmed a date, a place and a pun, and not much else. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s marketing chief, posted on social media on Oct. 19: “Can’t wait to pro and tell next week.” Members of the press and online creators have been invited to an in-person experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 28, starting at 10 a.m. Pacific time, which is 1 p.m. Eastern.

Don’t expect a classic keynote. Like the Welcome home showcase in New York on Oct. 13, which brought the HomeView smart display, a second HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K, this looks set to be a hands-on day. Apple will likely post press releases and videos at the start time, and invited guests will get to try the products. It is Apple’s second launch of the month and its third product event of the fall season.

Everything beyond the date comes from reports, mainly from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has a strong record on Apple launches. Here’s what he and others describe:

• Two sizes: 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
• OLED screens: the first Mac laptops to drop mini LED for OLED, a display type where each pixel lights itself. It is what makes iPhone screens look so punchy, with deeper blacks.
• Touch support: a first for the Mac. Steve Jobs famously argued that reaching up to touch a laptop screen was uncomfortable, so this is a real change of heart.
• Dynamic Island: the wide notch at the top of the screen reportedly gives way to the pill-shaped cutout iPhone owners know.
• Lighter bodies: described as much lighter than today’s models, though not necessarily thinner.

The name is less settled. Earlier talk suggested a new MacBook Ultra brand, but the most recent reporting says Apple will stick with MacBook Pro.

Here’s the strange part. The fancy OLED models are reportedly getting M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the same chip family already in current MacBook Pro laptops. One report claims M6 Pro and M6 Max instead, but the latest reporting says Apple isn’t making Pro or Max versions of the M6 at all.

Meanwhile, a refreshed entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected with the standard M6 chip, which arrived in the Mac mini in August. That model reportedly keeps the current design, with no OLED and no touch. So the cheapest MacBook Pro may carry a newer chip than the priciest one.

That isn’t as bad as it sounds. A Pro or Max chip still has far more graphics and processing muscle than a standard chip, even a generation older. But it does mean you shouldn’t judge these machines by the number on the chip alone. Gurman says the next big jump, M7 Pro and M7 Max, isn’t expected until fall 2027.

The Mac isn’t the only thing on the list. Reports describe a revamped iPad mini with:

• an OLED screen, its first;
• a reworked speaker system;
• the front camera moved to the long edge, so you’re centered on video calls when holding it sideways.

A new 24-inch iMac with the M6 chip is also expected. Don’t count on a redesign. It should look like the current model, perhaps with a new color or two.

The practical takeaway is simple: if you need a new Mac or iPad mini and can wait two or three weeks, wait.

• Thinking about a MacBook Pro? Buying today means paying full price for a model that is about to be replaced. Even if you don’t want the OLED version, the current models may get cheaper once new ones land.
• Want the cheapest MacBook Pro? The M6 refresh may be the sweet spot, since it gets the newer chip without the cost of an OLED touchscreen.
• Eyeing an iMac or iPad mini? Both are due for updates, so buying the current version now is poor timing.

Prices haven’t been announced or reliably reported, so treat any figure you see before Oct. 28 with caution. Apple will set those on the day, and US pricing usually comes first, with UK and Canadian prices posted at the same time.

Gurman reports that Apple expects the new laptops to be available on Friday, Nov. 6. One clue backs that up: Apple Stores have reportedly planned a big overnight floor rearrangement for Nov. 5, the evening before. The iMac could arrive the same day. The HomeView smart display from the earlier event, by contrast, isn’t due to ship until Nov. 13.

It caps a busy 2026 for Apple, a year that has already seen its first foldable iPhone and its first smart home display. Pro and tell may be the launch that matters most to people who use a Mac for work.