Apple reportedly has a second major product launch event planned for this month, and this time the spotlight will be on the Mac lineup. The star of the show, supposedly set for October 27, will be the first-ever MacBook Pro with a touchscreen. Plus, Macs updated with the latest Apple silicon are expected, and a significantly revamped iPad mini.
Word of this event comes just hours after Apple sent out invitations to a product launch event on October 13. The focus of that one is expected to be smart-home products.
Rumors point to so many Apple products on the way in October
Early this year, Apple CEO John Ternus bragged that the company was prepping an “incredible” product pipeline. He wasn’t kidding around. Revamped Mac mini and Mac Studio models came in August. Then September brought the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5. Plus the iPhone Duo, which was announced last month and is launching soon.
And now Apple just made it official that there’ll be a “Welcome Home” product launch event on October 13. That should include the company’s first smart home hub as well as updated HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K versions.
But wait… there’s more.
“Apple’s big October will continue on the 27th with a second event to launch the first touch-screen MacBooks, OLED iPad mini and M6 14-inch MacBook Pro & iMac,” Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman predicted on Thursday via X (formerly Twitter).
MacBook Pro with a touchscreen and OLED display
Image: Cult of Mac/Apple/ChatGPT
If the rumors are correct, we can look forward to a major change for Apple. After years of resisting adding touch input to the Mac, a MacBook Pro with a touchscreen is apparently imminent. But to be clear, instead of turning macOS into a powered-up version of iPadOS, Apple is expected to make modest modifications to its desktop interface to make it work with both a mouse and fingers.
Info leaking out of Cupertino also indicates the redesigned laptop will replace the familiar mini-LED display with an OLED panel, bringing deeper blacks, richer contrast and other display improvements. Expect 14- and 16-inch variants.
Plus, Apple could replace the display notch with an iPhone-like Dynamic Island, while the overall MacBook Pro is rumored to be lighter than current models.
Just note that the new model is expected to use M5 Pro and M5 Max processors rather than processors from the new M6 family.
MacBook Pro with M6 chip
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
The touchscreen MacBook Pro supposedly won’t be the only notebook on the agenda at Apple’s October 27 event. An update to the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 processor is also anticipated.
The M6 chip debuted in the recently launched Mac mini, bringing improved processing performance, enhanced energy efficiency and more powerful on-device AI capabilities.
Unlike the rumored touchscreen model, the M6 MacBook Pro is expected to retain the existing design, so this will be a simple “chip-and-ship” update.
M6 iMac
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Speaking of “chip-and-ship” updates, Apple’s colorful all-in-one iMac desktop could also get an M6 upgrade at the October 27 product-launch event.
While a revamp of the design of the computer is not rumored, Apple might introduce new colors.
OLED iPad mini
Concept: Cult of Mac
Beyond all the new Macs, Apple could have a tablet to show off at its October event: a redesigned iPad mini with an OLED display. The compact device is rumored to boast a screen upgrade that delivers deeper blacks, better contrast and more vibrant colors than the LCD panel in the current model.
The new iPad mini is also expected to get a faster processor, potentially improving support for Apple Intelligence and other demanding tasks.
October: A big month for Apple
If all the rumors and leaks prove accurate, Apple’s October 27 event could be one of its most consequential Mac launches in years. M6 upgrades for the iMac and entry-level MacBook Pro will be useful but routine, but the debut of a touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro will be a far bigger deal.
It is expected to mark the beginning of a new era for Apple notebooks, merging the trusty macOS with a form of interaction everyone now uses daily on their iPhone, iPad, etc. The result? Touch support could be standard on every MacBook in a few years.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
