Apple is holding a “Pro and Tell” event on October 28 that, not-so-subtly, signals a new MacBook Pro. That’s not too surprising, given that the company tends to release updated versions of its flagship laptop in late October or early November. However, this time it’s different: rumors suggest we’ll see the first ever touchscreen MacBook Pro unveiled, complete with an OLED display.
According to Bloomberg reporter and Apple tipster Mark Gurman, this MacBook Pro—or MacBook Ultra, as it has also been known — will also be slimmer and lighter than the existing models. It’s expected to come in 14- and 16-inch variants, and, interestingly enough, the laptops are rumored to have M5 Pro and M5 Max chips instead of an M6 chip.
If these rumors are true, this would be the biggest upgrade to the MacBook line since its redesign in October 2021. Of course, these upgrades will likely come with a steep price. That said, and understanding that none of these reports are official, here’s everything we’ve heard and expect from the MacBook Pro OLED.
MacBook Pro OLED: Rumored price and availability
There is no official release date for the MacBook Pro OLED, but we can make a reasonable guess about when we can expect it. Apple usually releases devices a week after they’re officially announced. To that end, we could see the MacBook Pro OLED sometime during the week of November 2.
Price-wise, previous estimates from MacWorld suggested that the MacBook Pro OLED could cost roughly 20% more than the current MacBook Pros, thanks to the OLED touchscreen and high-end chips. That would translate to a starting price of around $2,399 for the 14-inch model and $3,599 for the 16-inch variant — up from the $1,999 and $2,999 baselines of today’s M5 Pro models.
MacBook Pro OLED: Design and display
Instead of the existing mini-LED LCDs (or Liquid Retina displays), this rumored MacBook Pro will feature an OLED panel — which would be a first for MacBooks. This will deliver higher contrast between light and dark elements, more vivid colors, and stronger HDR. In addition, this MacBook Pro is expected to include a touchscreen, another first for MacBooks.
One interesting thing is that Apple is apparently ditching the display’s notch in favor of an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. Some folks have never liked the notch, so they’ll likely celebrate this rumored design change.
OLED panels are thinner and lighter than LCDs. This is why the iPad Pro M5 is slimmer and weighs less than an iPad Air M4. As a result, rumors suggest the OLED MacBook Pro should be noticeably more portable. We can’t say whether these laptops will be as featherweight as MacBook Airs, but it will be interesting to see the size and weight differences.
Besides being thinner and lighter, the rest of the OLED MacBook Pro’s design should remain the same. That means a similar keyboard, touchpad, and port selection.
MacBook Pro LED: Performance
Reports originally said the OLED MacBook Pro would pack the then-unannounced Apple M6 chip. That processor is now real and powers the new Mac mini M6. However, despite being the most recent M-series chip, it appears the OLED MacBook Pro will use a different processor.
According to Mark Gurman, the 14- and 16-inch OLED MacBooks will run on M5 Pro and M5 Max chips from the existing MacBook Pros. Though these are last-gen chips, they are more powerful than the M6 chip.
Why won’t this laptop have higher-end versions of the M6 chip? Gurman claims that Apple isn’t developing M6 Pro, M6 Max, or even M6 Ultra processors. The reason is that the company wants to focus more on AI and better graphics performance. As a result, Apple plans to focus its resources on developing M7 chips sooner — which means skipping higher-end M6 processors.
MacBook Pro OLED: Outlook
With the Apple “Pro and Tell” event on October 28, it won’t be long before we find out whether the rumored MacBook Pro OLED is real. Given the event’s title, we’ll undoubtedly see something MacBook Pro-related. Regardless, stay tuned for updates as we hear them!
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