Tuesday October 20, 2026 12:40 PM PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is working on a high-end MacBook Pro, and it's nearly ready to launch. It will have several firsts in a Mac, including an OLED display and a touchscreen.
Design
Apple hasn't redesigned the MacBook Pro since the launch of the M1 Pro and M1 Max models in 2021, so it's due for a new look. The new MacBook Pro is expected to feature some minor design changes. There's only so much you can do in a laptop form factor, but rumors say it will be lighter and possibly a bit thinner than before, which suggests some tweaks to the casing.
Apple plans to get rid of the notch, replacing it with an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. A Dynamic Island could better unify the way Siri AI behaves across the iPhone and the Mac with iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate, and it will take up less space on the display.
We haven't heard rumors of keyboard or trackpad changes, and neither needs an overhaul.
Size Options
The OLED MacBook Pro will be available in both 14-inch and 16-inch size options. It's not yet clear if it will replace the current models or be sold as a higher-end option alongside them.
Display
Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro will be the first with an OLED display. OLED display technology is already used for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro, but it has taken time for larger-sized OLED screens to come down in price.
OLED will be an upgrade over the current mini-LED display technology in most cases, bringing richer colors and a higher contrast ratio with true blacks. In an OLED display, individual pixels turn off instead of dimming when not in use, so there's less blooming. OLED displays tend to have better HDR than mini-LED, but sometimes don't match the mini-LED brightness levels.
Rumors indicate Apple is using rigid OLED panels with oxide TFT backplanes and advanced tandem OLED structures. Tandem OLED panels are used in the iPad Pro and have a longer lifespan with less burn-in than single-stack OLED panels.
Touchscreen
Along with OLED technology, the MacBook Pro is expected to have the first touchscreen display on a Mac. Users will be able to use their fingers to interact with the Mac's display, similar to an iPad.
Touchscreen capabilities will be used alongside the trackpad and keyboard, suggesting Apple sees touch as supplementary instead of a primary control method. Apple is rumored to be adapting macOS Golden Gate for touch input.
Apple plans to add a reinforced hinge to the MacBook Pro's display so that it doesn't wobble when it's tapped.
Touchscreen Hints in macOS 27
There are features in macOS Golden Gate that hint at a future touchscreen Mac. Apple added direct touch input to Sidecar so users can tap and interact with macOS elements when using the iPad as a Mac display.
macOS Golden Gate supports an iPhone-style pull-to-refresh option, and it can be used across apps like Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar. A pull-to-refresh option makes the most sense on a touch display.
Chips
The current high-end MacBook Pro models are equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and Apple plans to use the same chips for the OLED MacBook Pro.
Apple already introduced an M6 chip in the latest Mac mini, and it's expected to appear in a low-end MacBook Pro and an iMac on October 28, but Bloomberg says Apple isn't going to release any other chips in the M6 series. Apple's chip plans changed earlier this year, and the company is now accelerating the launch of the M7 series. The M7 chips feature major neural-processing improvements that will meet demand for machines better able to handle AI tasks.
With no M6 Pro or M6 Max planned, Apple will need to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max so it doesn't have to wait for the M7 series before debuting the OLED MacBook Pro. A second-generation OLED MacBook Pro will use the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips, with that machine planned for late 2027.
Naming
There were rumors that the OLED model would be called the "MacBook Ultra," but that's apparently not happening. Apple's product unveiling has the tagline "Pro and tell," making it clear the new device will keep the Pro name.
Pricing
Apple's OLED MacBook Pro is expected to be a premium product, with a price tag higher than current MacBook Pro models. Apple raised the prices of all Macs in June 2026, so the MacBook Pro could be even more expensive. MacBook Pro pricing went up a minimum of $300 as part of the June price hikes.
The higher-end 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip starts at $2,499 after the price increase, while the 16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro starts at $2,999. The M5 Max models start at $4,099 for the 14-inch model and $4,399 for the 16-inch model.
Launch Date
Apple will introduce new Macs on Wednesday, October 28 as part of a "Pro and tell" launch. There won't be a livestreamed event, but some members of the media have been invited to Los Angeles to try out the new devices.
The OLED MacBook Pro could launch as soon as November 6.
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