Touchscreen MacBook Pro Expected Wednesday: How It Stacks Up Against Today's Model

If you were about to buy a MacBook Pro this week, hold that thought for a few days. Apple is expected to announce its first touchscreen MacBook Pro on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and the current model is not going away right away.

Apple has confirmed only the event itself, an invitation only "Pro and tell" showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific. Everything about the laptops below comes from Gurman's Power On newsletter, as reported by MacRumors and Notebookcheck, so treat it as strong reporting rather than an official spec sheet. Gurman says the laptops will arrive by press release, with hands on time for guests afterward.

We first wrote about this machine when early reports pointed to a late October launch. The picture is now much clearer, which makes it possible to line up the two MacBook Pros that will share Apple's shelves.

OLED touch model and mini LED model, feature by feature

The new touchscreen MacBook Pro

• Sizes: 14 inch and 16 inch, per Gurman.
• Display: OLED with touch support, Apple's first touchscreen Mac. Notebookcheck notes OLED should bring deeper blacks and higher contrast than mini LED.
• Notch: Replaced by a Dynamic Island style cutout, like the one on recent iPhones.
• Design: Similar look to today's model, but lighter.
• Chips: M5 Pro and M5 Max, the same chips Apple released in March. The upgrade is the screen and input, not raw speed.
• Price: Not announced. Gurman says starting prices could be up to $500 higher than the current models.

The current mini LED MacBook Pro

• Sizes: 14 inch and 16 inch.
• Display: Mini LED, no touch, with the familiar notch.
• Chips: The same M5 Pro and M5 Max options.
• Price: Starts at $2,499 for the 14 inch and $2,999 for the 16 inch in the US.
• Future: Stays on sale for now, and will eventually be discontinued, according to the report.

If the $500 estimate holds, the 14 inch touch model would start around $2,999 and the 16 inch around $3,499. Those are our calculations from Gurman's range, not Apple prices.

How macOS Golden Gate is said to handle touch

A touchscreen is only as good as the software under your finger, and this is where Apple appears to have done the most work. Gurman reports that macOS Golden Gate has a "dynamic interface" that changes based on whether you last touched the screen or used the trackpad.

He describes one example in detail: "Touching a button can also bring up a menu around the user's finger." The Dock and the Menu Bar have also reportedly been tuned for touch. Apple is expected to pitch touch as an extra option next to the keyboard and trackpad, not a replacement for them, which is a different approach from Windows laptops like Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra that have offered touch for years.

The iMac and a cheaper MacBook Pro may share the stage

Notebookcheck, citing the same Bloomberg newsletter, says Apple may also show a 24 inch iMac with an M6 chip, replacing the 2024 M4 model. New colors are expected, but no big redesign, and an OLED iMac is reportedly still years away.

The same report mentions a possible new entry level MacBook Pro with an M6 chip and a regular, non OLED display. That model could end up as the value pick of the lineup if it lands below the touch versions.

Which MacBook Pro makes sense for you

Wait for Wednesday if you have wanted a touchscreen Mac, you work on photos or video and care about contrast, or you simply want the newest design. Even if you never touch the screen, the lighter body and OLED panel are the headline changes.

Consider the current model if price matters more than the screen. Performance should be the same chip for chip, and older models often get cheaper at retailers once a new version arrives. With memory costs already pushing prices up across the industry, as seen in the sharp drop in PC shipments last quarter, a discount on outgoing stock may be the better deal for many buyers.

Look at the rumored M6 model if you want a newer chip and do not need OLED or touch at all.

Not sure which size or spec fits your work? Our guide on how to choose a laptop without overpaying walks through the tradeoffs, and we will update our gadgets coverage once Apple makes the prices official.

One tip before Wednesday: if you already bought a MacBook Pro recently, check your return window. Apple's standard return period is short, and it may cover a switch if the new model turns out to be the one you wanted.