The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display has been a long time coming. And while it’s generating a lot of buzz, there’s also a lot of skepticism around Apple’s first touchscreen laptop. And understandably so.

Apple has famously dissed the very idea of touch laptops on multiple occasions over the years. But now the company believes the time is right. I’ve spent several hours playing with the new MacBook Pro and learning about the technology inside this $2,899 laptop, so I wanted to share 10 things I’ve learned to help go beyond the hype.

1. This tandem OLED display has next-level contrast at 10 million to 1

The best Windows laptops with tandem OLED displays tend to have a contrast ratio of 1 million to 1. The new MacBook Pro ups the ante with a 10 million to 1 ratio. But what does that mean to you?

The result is a panel that offers images with perfect black levels but without losing details in the shadows. Other OLED laptops look cloudy by comparison, especially off angle.

2. The touch silicon is built directly into the display — there’s no digitizer layer

Most touchscreen laptops have a separate and distinct digitizer layer that’s required to support touch input. But Apple found a way to integrate the touch silicon directly into its tandem OLED display.

The result is that the touch experience feels super fluid without any lag based on my hands-on time. And just as important, Apple says that this implementation makes the MacBook Pro’s OLED panel more efficient. So we expect the new MacBook Pro to last longer on a charge without the typical touch screen power penalty we’ve seen.

3. Apple used a TFT oxide layer, which is a first

Apple says that it's the first to use a TFT oxide layer in its tandem OLED display, which has a few benefits.

It's designed to offer greater pixel density versus other displays and to be more efficient, because the transistors virtually don’t leak any current when holding an image. Plus, the screen can drop to low refresh rates without flickering.

4. The new MacBook Pro has a different hinge

Apple redesigned the hinge for the MacBook Pro PROLED XDR because they knew that people were going to reach out and touch the display. They purposely designed the hinge to be more resilient to taps, so that it doesn’t wobble as much as other MacBooks.

Apple also added better video stabilization for the front camera so you can feel comfortable tapping even while you’re on a Zoom call.

5. There are a lot of apps being optimized for touch

While it’s clear Apple is playing catch up to Windows laptops when it comes to touch interaction, I was impressed with the wave of touch-friendly apps I’ve seen so far in various demos.

For example, in Logic Pro you can add piano chords to the track you’re working on with a touch keyboard or add bass hits with just a touch. And in apps like ZBruch, you can read out and manipulate 3D renders with your fingers.

6. The glowing Apple logo doesn’t use the display as a backlight

The last MacBook with a glowing logo on the back was the MacBook Air a decade ago, but Apple is bringing it back with the MacBook Pro PROLED XDR. But because the tandem OLED is a self-emitting display, there’s no traditional backlight.

So Apple had to squeeze a dedicated backlight into the new MacBook Pro to make the logo shine. In a nice touch, the logo itself dims and brightens as you raise and lower the screen brightness.

7. 2,000 nits beats every other OLED laptop

The new MacBook Pro is rated for 2,000 nits of peak brightness, which is 25% brighter than the brightest Windows OLED laptops, which typically max out at 1,600 nits.

Just as impressive, that 2,000 nits applies to both HDR content and SDR video, when typically the peak brightness number is reserved for HDR.

8. There’s no Apple Pencil support (on purpose)

As cool as it is to finally have a touchscreen MacBook Pro, I think it would have been nice for it to support the Apple Pencil too. This would have been great for finer edits, sketching and manipulating content.

However, Apple intentionally did not include Apple Pencil support for the MacBook Pro, and that’s because it doesn’t want to muddy the waters between MacBooks and iPads.

9. The 3-pound weight is nearly MacBook Air light

One of the things that impresses me most about the new 14-inch MacBook Pro is how light it feels. It weighs just 3 pounds, which is not far off from the 13.6-inch MacBook Air (2.7 pounds).

Apple says it redesigned this laptop from the ground up to pull out a significant amount of weight without making compromises in terms of performance, which we’ll put to the test.

10. There’s a Dynamic Island but no Face ID

The new MacBook Pro replaces the notch with a Dynamic Island at the top of the display, which supports Live Activities. For example, if you start playing music and then start doing other things, you can tap the Dynamic Island and bring up the playback controls.

However, this area doesn’t house Face ID tech, which would have been nice. You need to use the Touch ID in the power button to unlock your laptop. It works fine but doesn’t feel as futuristic as the rest of the laptop.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple is entering its ‘Why Not?’ era — and your wallet is the ultimate beta tester
• The ultimate MacBook hierarchy: M6 vs M5 vs M4 vs M3 vs M2 vs M1 tested and ranked
• MacBook Pro OLED preorders are live: use this trick to save up to $1,400

After a long wait, Apple revealed the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the first MacBook to feature a touchscreen. Powered by the M5 Pro or the M5 Max chip, these MacBooks are surely going to rank among the best laptops in no time.

Meanwhile, M1-based MacBooks are slowly slipping into irrelevance. The chip is now six years old. With each passing year, the upgrades get bigger and bigger, and now, Apple finally pulled out the big guns: it's not just raw performance you're getting. You're getting a whole different device.

Should M1 Pro MacBook Pro owners finally pull the trigger and upgrade? And are these OLED MacBooks really the best option? Let's find out.

How does the Apple M1 compare to newer chips?

The spec gap between the generations is now big enough that M1 owners should start thinking about upgrades. While the M5 Pro and the M5 Max are in a league of their own, even the base M6 offers a sizable upgrade over the M1.

Memory size grows exponentially, ranging from 32GB to 128GB compared to the M1's max of 64GB. Throw in a huge speed boost in memory bandwidth and it becomes a buffet of fast tranfers.

That extra memory matters more than ever, since running AI models locally eats RAM for breakfast. Even if you don't dabble in AI, 16GB RAM is pretty restrictive in 2026 (and beyond).

How much faster are the new Macs than the M1?

We've learned the specs, so let's put them into some perspective. Over the years, we've tested every single generation of MacBook, so we've amassed quite the database of benchmarks.

While the M6, found in the latest Mac mini, is technically the newest generation of Apple chips, the M5 Pro and the M5 Max are still the fastest in the more intense multi-tasking workloads, and they're the chips you'll find inside the new PROLEDs.

The scores speak for themselves. The base M6 already more than doubles the performance offered by the M1, and the M5 Pro and the M5 Max take it to another level. While the three chips are similar in single-core, the Pro and the Max pull far ahead in multi-core operations. The M5 Pro and the M5 Max score over 20,000 points more than the base M1.

You'll also see a comparison to the MacBook Neo, which doesn't even run on one of Apple's M chips—it uses the A18 Pro. The MacBook Neo, which we rank as the best budget laptop, actually beats the base M1 in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks.

Apart from the $699 MacBook Neo, every new model on this list doubles the performance of the M1, and that's at minimum, not at most.

Battery life: How long do the new MacBooks last?

M1 MacBooks were once the uncontested battery champions, but that was true when they first hit the market.

Now, years later, Apple has continued to perfect its proprietary chip technology with every generation, and that translates to more than performance gains: you also get better battery life.

In our web surfing test, the newer MacBook Pros last up to seven hours longer than their M1 equivalents, with the 16-inch M5 Pro reaching 21 hours and 25 minutes. We expect similar numbers from the OLED MacBook Pros once they're fully out (Apple claims 24 hours). But even if there's a slight drop in battery life, they should still outlast most of the M1 lineup.

If you're still on an M1 MacBook, remember that there's another catch: Apple's MacBook batteries are designed to keep up to 80% of their original capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles, so a five- or six-year-old M1 is likely lasting less today than it did at the beginning. Food for thought.

What your M1 MacBook still does well

As you can see, the numbers are decidedly not in M1's favor, but don't let it get to you. Many people still use M1 MacBooks with great success, so while the new OLED MacBooks are tempting, don't forget that your M1 laptop still makes sense.

Apple is still fully supporting M1 MacBooks, which have been updated to run macOS 27 Golden Gate. Apple's new Siri AI works on M1 too, so you're not locked out of the latest software by sticking to an older MacBook. These laptops are still good enough to handle browsing, video calls, and streaming, and the M1 Pro is still capable for its age.

The cracks start to show when you look closer. Some of macOS 27's newer AI features, like the custom Siri voice and improved dictation, need an M3 chip or later with at least 12GB of memory, so M1 is out. And if you have a base MacBook Air M1 with 8GB RAM, you've probably already felt it struggle during multitasking.

Is it time to upgrade from your M1? Upgrade options from $699 to $3,000+

When you're still using the M1, most MacBooks are an upgrade. Let's look at some options.

So, what should you choose? Obviously, the new OLED MacBooks are the most impressive option, but they're also really pricey, with pricing starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch model.

Pick based on your needs. If you mostly browse, stream, and do some light office work, the $699 MacBook Neo is the cheapest way out, as it's about 50% faster than the M1 Air in single-core tasks. Even after the price hike, it's fairly affordable.

For most M1 Air owners, the M5 MacBook Air is the safer bet. It starts at $1,299 after Apple's June price hike, but it doubles the M1 Air's multi-core performance and starts with 16GB of RAM.

The new OLED MacBook Pro finally marks a time when even M1 Pro and M1 Max owners should consider upgrading. The price point is steep, but with huge performance gains, a touchscreen, and a new OLED panel, you're getting a lot in return.

For most M1 owners, the time to upgrade has finally come, especially if you’re on a base M1 MacBook Air. If you're not happy with your old MacBook, there are plenty of options available to replace it.

More from Tom's Guide

• I analyzed Apple’s new 2nm M6 chip — here is why M1 holdouts finally need to upgrade
• The ultimate MacBook hierarchy: M6 vs M5 vs M4 vs M3 vs M2 vs M1 tested and ranked
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops — here’s the truth

Apple has just announced two new flagship laptops: the MacBook Pro OLED and the MacBook Pro M6. The former is the company’s first touchscreen OLED MacBook, while the latter updates last year’s MacBook Pro M5. Both should be fantastic laptops for pro users, but which one should you buy?

We haven't tested either of these new MacBooks yet, but based on what we know, they shouldn’t have trouble landing on our best MacBooks page.

To that end, here’s everything you need to know about the MacBook Pro OLED and MacBook Pro M6 to help you decide which one is right for you. Also, be sure to read our hands-on with the MacBook Pro OLED from the Apple "Pro and Tell" event!

MacBook Pro OLED vs MacBook Pro M6: Specs

MacBook Pro OLED vs MacBook Pro M6: Price

There’s no denying that both new MacBook models cost a pretty penny. That said, one is definitely more affordable than the other (relatively speaking).

The 14-inch MacBook Pro OLED with the M5 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage starts at $2,899, while the 16-inch model with the same specs starts at $3,399. If you want a laptop with the M5 Max chip, the 14-inch model starts at $4,499, while the 16-inch model is $4,799.

Then we have the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,999 and packs an M6 chip with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. You can add up to 32GB of RAM and 4TB of storage, though that’ll substantially bring up the price.

MacBook Pro OLED vs MacBook Pro M6: Display

The biggest difference between these two MacBooks is their respective displays. The MacBook Pro OLED is the first MacBook with a touchscreen OLED panel, while the MacBook Pro M6 keeps the mini-LED screen of current MacBooks. Depending on what you want or need, this could be the main determining factor in which MacBook you’d buy.

According to Apple, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display “offers a visual experience unlike any other." That’s no doubt because of the tandem OLED panel, which promises true per-pixel blacks and zero blooming around UI elements.

Apple claims this display can deliver peak SDR and HDR brightness of 2000 nits, which is absolutely eye-scorching. Apple says the tandem OLED technology keeps brightness and grayscale uniform across the entire display. The company also says it precisely calibrates each display for consistency.

On top of that—and I mean that literally—the notch cutout at the top of the panel has been replaced by the Dynamic Island you’ve seen on the best iPhones. This brings Live Activities to the MacBook for the first time.

Lastly, the MacBook Pro OLED has a touchscreen. Apple says it crafted touch input specifically for the Mac, with a touch sensor built directly into the display panel, not layered on top. Our own Mark Spoonauer went hands-on with the MacBook Pro OLED and said that the touchscreen support feels “pretty smooth” as he navigated between apps or used his finger to draw. However, it doesn’t support the Apple Pencil.

Apple didn’t update the MacBook Pro M6's Liquid Retina XDR display, so we already have a good idea of what it can do based on our testing and experience with previous models. Specifically, it has a 14.2-inch Mini-LED display running at 120Hz ProMotion, with a notch cutout at the top and no Dynamic Island-like functionality.

Since the display is the same, our benchmarks for the MacBook Pro M5 should be virtually identical on the new model. That means you’ll get excellent color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta E). Even without an OLED, the M6 MacBook Pro’s mini-LED panel should be stunning.

MacBook Pro OLED vs MacBook Pro M6: Design

MacBook Pros have featured the same design since late 2021, but the new MacBook Pro OLED finally ends that streak. While the new design might not be radically different, the changes introduced should make for a laptop that’s easier to travel with.

Because OLED panels don’t require the same backlight array, the MacBook Pro OLED is thinner and lighter than current MacBook Pros. The 14-inch model weighs half a pound less at 3 pounds, while the 16-inch model is just a tad over four pounds. With slimmer borders, the 16-inch display grows to 16.3 inches, while the 14-inch display stays at a more portable 14.2 inches.

Port-wise, the MacBook Pro packs three Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe, and a headphone jack. It supports up to three external displays with M5 Pro and up to four with M5 Max. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The M6 MacBook Pro has the same port selection, though the USB-C ports are Thunderbolt 4 instead of Thunderbolt 5.

Last but certainly not least, the MacBook Pro OLED resurrects the classic glowing Apple logo on the lid. We haven’t seen this design feature for over eight years, so it’s a nice callback for long-time Apple fans.

MacBook Pro OLED vs MacBook Pro M6: Performance

One of the more intriguing things about the MacBook Pro OLED is that it utilizes the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips found in the existing MacBook Pro models. But while the 14-inch MacBook Pro packs the new M6 chip that first debuted in the new Mac mini M6, the “older” M5 Pro/Max processors are actually more powerful.

We haven't tested the new MacBook Pros yet, but based on our testing of MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max, along with benchmarks of the M6 Mac mini, we have a sense of what to expect in terms of performance. Just keep in mind that differences will exist because the chips power different hardware.

Pro and Max versions of M-series chips are always the most powerful in the line, even outperforming the entry-level version of newer chips. Because of that, we expect that the MacBook Pro OLED will be noticeably more powerful than the MacBook Pro M6.

MacBook Pro OLED vs MacBook Pro M6: Outlook

With both new MacBooks launching on November 6, we won’t have to wait long to see what they can truly do. That said, based on what we know so far, it’s not too hard to decide which notebook to buy.

If you’ve been waiting for a MacBook Pro with an OLED screen and touchscreen support, consider the MacBook Pro OLED. Just keep its sticker price in mind, as it’s currently the most expensive MacBook available.

Conversely, if touchscreen support and OLED aren’t as important, then you won’t go wrong with the M6 MacBook Pro. This is especially true if you want to save nearly $1,000 off the starting price. And while an OLED touchscreen is certainly enticing, the MacBook Pro M6's Mini-LED panel won’t disappoint.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple event LIVE: Touchscreen MacBook Pro OLED announced, iPad mini OLED and more
• Apple just announced a new iPad mini with an OLED panel and IP67 resistance
• Apple unveils new iMac with M6 — here are all the upgrades

It's one thing for Apple to say the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR has the best display on any laptop, and it's another for it to put its money where it's mouth is. During a briefing and demo the company showed us how the new MacBook Pro stacks up to a premium Windows laptop with a tandem OLED display in the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, which retails for $3,399 and is currently on sale for $2,699.

Apple put this machine up against the new 16-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED, which starts at $3,399. And the difference between these laptops was night and day. I was not able to take photos or videos, but I can tell you what I saw.

A great image from any angle

It took about 2 seconds to realize that the tandem OLED display on the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is inferior to the PROLED XDR panel on the new MacBook Pro. And that's because the off-angle viewing is way better on Apple's laptop.

When viewing the same photo of a person in a tunnel head on, the two laptops were almost equal, but as soon as I moved to the side the MacBook Pro's image retained its quality while the colors shifted on the Lenovo. There was some definite yellowing.

Way better contrast

Additionally, the contrast from the MacBook Pro with PROLED is a lot higher. We're talking 10 million to 1 versus 1 million to 1. The visual difference?

When looking at a photo of a skyline, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i's image was brighter, but the sky was more washed out, and it was missing the perfect blacks from the new MacBook Pro. The city lights were also fuzzier and less distinct.

The brightest tandem OLED (with less glare)

The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR really showed off when Apple turned up the lights in the room. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i really struggled with presenting a clear image, and I could see myself in the screen.

Impressively, this was the new MacBook Pro without the nano texture display. There was some glare through Apple's laptop, but it was minimal.

The touch wobble test

Last but not least, Apple showed off the hinge on the MacBook Pro with PROLED, which was designed to have more resistance versus other laptops. As the rep reached out and touched the display with the camera app running, there was less bounce.

By comparison, when touching the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i's screen, the screen wobbled a lot to the point that the camera view looked like we were experiencing an earthquake.

Outlook

The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR looks like it could live up to Apple's claim of being the best laptop display ever, but we won't know for sure until we get it into our lab and run our wide range of tests, including brightness, color reproduction and color accuracy.

But based on the is admittedly handpicked demo by Apple of the new MacBook Pro versus a comparably priced tandem OLED Windows competitor — and my 25+ years of reviewing laptops — this new screen is legit.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Pro OLED preorders are live: use this trick to save up to $1,400
• MacBook Pro M6 vs MacBook Pro M5: Biggest upgrades you need to know
• The ultimate MacBook hierarchy: M6 vs M5 vs M4 vs M3 vs M2 vs M1 tested and ranked

After weeks of speculation, Apple has confirmed its new MacBook Pro OLED. The touchscreen laptop boasts a PROLED XDR display panel that provides up to 2,000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness.

MacBook Pro OLED preorders are live right now with an official release date of November 6. You can choose between a 14-inch MacBook Pro OLED from $2,899 or a 16-inch MacBook Pro OLED from $3,339. The laptops can be customized with Apple's M5 Pro or M5 Max CPU. The base models for both laptops include 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Currently, MacBook Pro OLED preorders can be made via Amazon, Best Buy, and the Apple Store. In some cases, you can even score a free gift card with your preorder.

Quick Links

• Amazon: from $2,899
• Best Buy: from $2,899 + $100 gift card
• Apple Store: from $2,899

MacBook Pro OLED Preorders

MacBook Pro OLED Deals

Although the base MacBook Pro OLED models come packed with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, their $2,899 starting price is no joke. It may be awhile before we see any significant MacBook Pro OLED deals, so in the meantime your best bet is to take advantage of Apple's trade-in policy or opt for the free $100 gift card that Best Buy is offering. Otherwise, it may be awhile before Amazon offers a notable discount.

Currently at the Apple Store, you can get up to $795 in trade-in credits for a used MacBook Air or up to $1,435 in trade-in credit for a used MacBook Pro. (You can also trade-in other Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads). For example, my 15-inch MacBook Air (M2) in good condition is worth $600. I'd still be looking at a $2,299 starting price for an OLED MacBook Pro, but $600 is a noteworthy discount.

With Black Friday around the corner, I expect to see various MacBook deals for all of Apple's new devices. Make sure to follow Tom's Guide for the best deals now through the holiday season.

I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of the name. "MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display" is a mouthful. But this laptop, starting at $2,899, definitely made my jaw drop.

Apple has created a truly stunning screen with this laptop, and I know because I've already compared it against one of the best Windows laptops with a tandem OLED display. It's colorful, super bright and looks great even off-axis.

But the biggest news for many is that this is the first MacBook with a touchscreen, and Apple showed off several apps that are ready for your finger. Here's what it's like to use and my pros and cons so far.

All about that panel

The first thing I noticed about the new MacBook Pro was the colorful tandem OLED display. At 2,000 nits, this screen is so bright we had to turn down our camera to record it. The colors really pop off the display. The screen offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a 10 million to 1 contrast ratio, which Apple says is industry leading — and I believe it.

Most Windows laptops with tandem OLED screens max out at 1 million to 1. The result is that the new MacBook offers perfect blacks without sacrificing details in the shadows.

MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display: Specs

Finally notchless

The second thing that hit me is that the notch is gone, replaced by a smaller Dynamic Island. When playing music, for example, the music player will shrink in a little window at the top of the display, and you bring it back with a tap.

And that brings me to perhaps the biggest upgrade overall, as it's a first for MacBooks: touch.

A MacBook you can reach out and touch

I found the touchscreen support to be pretty smooth as I navigated between apps. I could draw using my finger with ease, though there's no Apple Pencil support to speak of.

As you would expect, pinch-to-zoom works well, and I could easily drag and drop video clips in a timeline. I also played a virtual keyboard (complete with chords) and interacted with a 3D model by spinning it around.

We'll have to see how well touch works with third-party apps, but Apple already promises support for Notion, Canva, Zoom, Microsoft Office, Adobe Lightroom and more.

Pro power without the extra weight

All of this is wrapped up in a design that's only 3 pounds, which is less than the MacBook Pro with M6 at 3.4 pounds. I could easily see myself carrying this as my everyday laptop — if I had the budget.

Another design highlight is that Apple has brought back the glowing Apple logo, so everyone will know from across the room that you have the touchscreen Mac.

A true mobile studio

Powering the MacBook Pro with PROLED is the M5 Pro and M5 Max chip, which should offer swift performance for creative pros and coders.

And this new MacBook Pro will hopefully sound as good as it looks, thanks to a new woofer design with 50% more bass.

The port selection is robust, with three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe and a headphone jack. And you get both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.

An unmatched display

Starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch version and $3,399 for the 16-inch, this is one pricey laptop. But if you want the very best display quality it could be worth the premium. Anyone who works with photos and video on a daily basis I think will love this panel.

I would say the touch interface is more of a bonus, and I'd like to see Apple offer it across the lineup just to give people more options.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple event LIVE: Touchscreen MacBook Pro OLED announced, iPad mini OLED and more
• Apple just announced a new iPad mini with an OLED panel and IP67 resistance
• Apple unveils new iMac with M6 — here are all the upgrades

Apple has capped off its week of "Pro and tell" announcements by unveiling the long-awaited touchscreen MacBook Pro OLED. In what could be the biggest update to MacBook Pro lineup since its inception twenty years ago, we now have a tandem OLED display on Apple's premium laptop for the first time.

In addition, Apple has dropped the notch in favor of an all-new Dynamic Island similar to what we're used to on the best iPhones. And guess what, the illuminated Apple logo on the lid is back!

Tom's Guide is in attendance at Apple's "Pro and tell" showcase in LA today, and we'll bring you our full reaction and hands-on with the new MacBook Pro OLED imminently. In the meantime, check out our live blog right here.

Specs

Price and release date

We’ll get the bad news out of the way first, the MacBook Pro OLED is set to start at $2,899 for the base-level 14-inch spec with the M5 Pro and rise to $3,399 for the 16-inch model.

If you want to go for the M5 Max spec, the starting price for the 14-inch version will set you back $4,499 while the 16-inch model is $4,799.

Pre-orders begin today, Wednesday, October 28, with shipping (and in-store availability) due to start on November 6.

That’s a serious chunk of change compared to the $1,999 starting price of the M6 MacBook Pro announced yesterday. It’s the highest starting price of any MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 price of the 17-inch model Apple revealed in 2006.

PROLED XDR Display with touch

Here’s why you’re going to be paying a premium for this laptop — it’s the step-up in display quality that we’ve been hoping for for years. Apple has named this device the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display and claims the laptop "offers a visual experience unlike any other."

We're talking about a tandem OLED panel that will outshine and outclass the mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR panel on the regular MacBook Pro. Users will get true per-pixel blacks and zero blooming around UI elements on this display.

Apple can push this display to peak HDR brightness of 2000 nits and for anyone who uses a MacBook Pro for visual creative work, this is going to be a game-changer.

"PROLED XDR is the world’s best laptop display, delivering true-to-life color and unparalleled brightness and contrast," Apple's press release explains.

"The PROLED XDR display offers tandem OLED technology unlike any other, with deep innovations in its layers that keep brightness and grayscale uniform across the entire display, while minimizing internal reflections common in traditional OLED designs.

"It’s all backed by advanced algorithms in the display engine that precisely control each pixel in real time, plus a meticulous manufacturing process and precise calibration of every panel for consistency from display to display."

In addition, the notch cutout that Apple introduced in 2021 has been replaced with a true Dynamic Island, just like you’ll find on the iPhone. This will bring Live Activities to the MacBook for the first time.

And finally, despite what Steve Jobs may have said, the MacBook now has touch input for the first time.

Apple says it's crafted touch input specifically for the Mac, with a touch sensor built directly into the display panel — not layered on top of it.

"Everyday tasks are simple and intuitive, allowing users to scroll through a webpage with a natural swipe; pinch to zoom in on a photo; drag and drop slides from one presentation to another; and double-tap a window to fill the screen, or flick to tile it into place," Apple wrote.

Design

Apple has made a few notable changes to the traditional design of the MacBook Pro, as a result of the new display. Because OLED panels don’t require the same backlight array, the company has been able to make the chassis thinner and lighter than its non-OLED counterparts.

With slimmer display borders, the 16-inch display now grows to 16.3 inches, while the 14-inch display delivers a more portable 14.2-inch design. What's more, this iteration of MacBook Pro is lighter, with the 14-inch weighing half a pound less at three pounds. The 16-inch version tips the scales at just four pounds.

Rumors before the event were that Apple has redesigned and stiffened the hinge to avoid the dreaded wobble when you reach up and touch the screen. It's something we'll be testing for in our hands-on.

The new MacBook Pro includes three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe, and a headphone jack. In addition to the PROLED XDR display, it supports up to three external displays with M5 Pro and up to four with M5 Max. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 are on board, as you'd expect.

Oh, and probably the most talked-about update to the design — the Apple logo glows. It feels like 2008 all over again!

macOS 27 Golden Gate

Apple has taken a leaf from the iPhone Duo book and made some subtle changes to macOS to optimise it for touchscreen input. The company says its own apps are optimized for the new MacBook Pro, and many existing apps work with Touch right away, because macOS automatically translates touches into clicks.

We don't know exactly how it's been implemented yet, but I hope we get context-aware touch scaling that means when you reach out to touch the display, target hitboxes will dynamically expand while context menus appear enlarged around your fingers.

Interactions familiar from iOS and iPadOS should be included, such as pull-to-refresh across native apps, multi-touch zooming, pinch-to-navigate in Safari, and direct scrubbing across timelines in creative suites like Final Cut Pro and Logic.

Of course, the MacBook Pro OLED’s full Force Touch trackpad continues to serve as the primary input, but having the option to interact directly with the screen is long overdue.

"Graphic designers can now use the entire display as their canvas, no longer constrained by the area of the trackpad when drawing; musicians can play software instruments right onscreen; and app developers can test how Touch performs in their iOS and iPadOS apps directly on the MacBook Pro display," Apple said.

Performance and power

The MacBook Pro OLED will ship with the M5 Pro / M5 Max chipset rather than the newer M6 processor in the non-OLED MacBook Pro. That may seem counter-intuitive but it’s a question of use cases. The M6 is more performant for single-core speeds but the Pro / Max delivers faster data transfer and better multitasking.

The MacBook Pro OLED is now configurable with up to 128GB of unified memory and now up to 16TB of storage.

Outlook

MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is almost certain to prove a huge hit, despite those wallet-trembling price points.

The combination of an OLED touchscreen display on a MacBook for the first time, not to mention a slimmer and lighter profile as well as the ability to cram even more memory and storage into the chassis are what a lot of Apple users have been asking for. It still keeps the 12MP Center Stage camera tucked inside that Dynamic Island, though.

We’ll be getting hands-on with it as soon as possible and, following that, we’ll be putting the MacBook Pro OLED through our usual battery of lab tests when we get one in for review. Stay tuned to Tom’s Guide to find out just how good this ultra-premium MacBook Pro really is and whether or not it’s been worth the wait

It's been a big week for Macs, with Apple announcing the new MacBook Pro M6, iMac M6 and, more than likely, the very first touchscreen MacBook Pro. But this definitely isn't the end of Apple's computing ambitions, and word is that early 2027 could see the launch of two new MacBooks, including the MacBook Neo 2.

This news comes courtesy of Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who claims that Apple is working on new versions of both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air. These two machines are expected to arrive in the first half of next year, but sadly Gurman doesn't divulge any additional details about either of them.

Gurman refers to the updated machines as "refreshed," which I understand to mean very little in the way of meaningful design changes. My assumption is backed up by rumors that a major OLED redesign is coming at some point in 2028.

That'll be disappointing for some, considering we've had the same Air design for the past few years. But we should still expect the usual slew of upgrades, including an M6 chip and all the associated performance and battery upgrades that new hardware offers.

The MacBook Neo is likely to get similarly iterative upgrades. Considering how cheap the laptop was at launch, and the fact that Apple has had to raise the price due to skyrocketing RAM costs, it seems unlikely we'll see any major changes made to the Neo. Meaning all those cost-saving design choices are likely to stick around for a little while longer.

Gurman has previously claimed that the second generation will feature the A19 Pro chip, an increased 12GB of RAM and a bunch of new color options. It's unclear whether 12GB will be the standard amount of memory, or if it will be an optional upgrade for those willing to pay more — like Touch ID on the current Neo model.

Considering the skyrocketing price of RAM, and the fact the MacBook Neo has already suffered a value-reducing price hike, my money is on the latter.

As for when we might see these new machines, a smart bet would be March 2027 — or some time around then. Both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air M5 were released in March of this year, and it makes sense that Apple would follow that same release pattern for their successors. Especially since spring is generally a pretty quiet month for Apple.

We'll have to wait and see how this all pans out, and what future rumors have to say about both machines.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple responds to iPhone Duo cracked inner screens — what to do if your phone is affected
• M6 iMac vs M4 iMac: Is Apple’s latest all-in-one actually worth the upgrade?
• First iPhone 18e specs leak point towards a disappointing upgrade for Apple's next low-cost iPhone

The 14-inch MacBook Pro M6 is here! This year’s model features the new Apple M6 chip, promising faster performance and longer battery life. And thanks to the Apple N1 chip inside, this laptop supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. However, due to Apple's price hikes, this entry-level MacBook Pro now starts at $1,999.

The new MacBook Pro M6 has all the updates we’ve come to expect from yearly iterations. That raises the question: is it a meaningful upgrade over the MacBook Pro M5? To answer that, I’ll outline all the upgrades and what has stayed the same to help you decide whether you need to upgrade.

Here are the biggest upgrades between the MacBook Pro M6 and the MacBook Pro M5 that you need to know.

MacBook Pro M6 vs MacBook Pro M5: What’s different?

Price

The first big difference between the new MacBook Pro and the previous model is the starting price. As I said in the intro, this new MacBook Pro is significantly more expensive.

Whereas the M5 MacBook Pro originally cost $1,599, the new model starts at $1,999. While that’s actually the current price of the M5 MacBook Pro, thanks to RAMageddon, that’s a small consolation. And of course, choosing more storage and RAM will bump up the price even further.

Apple M6 chip

Next up is the inclusion of an Apple M6. Like the A20 Pro chip in the iPhone Duo, this new processor is based on TSMC’s 2-nanometer architecture that’s meant to deliver notable power and efficiency gains over M5. Based on our testing of both chips, said gains should be around 10-15%.

Compared to the M5 chip's 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the M6 upgrades both by adding two extra cores each. It also incorporates a Dual 16-core Neural Engine designed for machine learning and AI tasks.

Apple says that the 12-core GPU delivers up to 25 percent faster AI performance and up to 30 percent faster graphics processing than the M5.

Furthermore, the Neural Engine is enhanced by dedicated Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core, giving the M6 MacBook Pro a substantial edge when running AI-driven creative software.

While we need to bring the MacBook Pro M6 into our lab to see what it can do, we have a sense of what to expect from our testing of the new Mac mini M6. As you can see above, there are noticeable performance gains, though nothing earth-shattering. That said, you’ll certainly feel the difference if you’re still using an M1 or M2 MacBook Pro.

Connectivity and battery life

Connectivity also gets a nice upgrade on the MacBook Pro M6, as this model features Apple's N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

This delivers higher throughput and lower networking latency than the previous model’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. On top of that, Bluetooth 6 offers better power efficiency and enhanced location tracking for wireless peripherals, such as headphones and game controllers.

Speaking of power efficiency, Apple claims the M6 MacBook Pro delivers up to 24 hours of battery life. We’ll need to run our battery test to confirm, but given that the M5 MacBook Pro lasted 18 hours, 24 hours might not be too far off.

MacBook Pro M6 vs MacBook Pro M5: What’s the same?

Design

Apple’s MacBook Pro line has featured the same design since late 2021 and things haven’t changed with the M6 model. That means we get another sturdy yet light slab of machined aluminum that’s easy to travel with and use.

The MacBook Pro M6 has the same dimensions (12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches) and weight (3.4 pounds), along with identical color choices in Space Black and Silver. The port selection remains unchanged as well, offering an SDXC card slot, three Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, an HDMI port, MagSafe 3 charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Display

Apple has kept the 14.2-inch Mini-LED display running at 120Hz ProMotion for the M6 MacBook Pro refresh. We still have the notch cutout at the top, and no Dynamic Island-like functionality. If rumors are true, that's an upgrade reserved for the still-unannounced MacBook Pro OLED.

Since the display isn’t different, our benchmarks for the MacBook Pro M5 should be virtually identical on the new model. That means you’ll get excellent color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E). Even without an OLED, the M6 MacBook Pro’s mini-LED panel should be a feast for the eyes.

Other features

Here is a brief rundown of everything else that’s the same on the new MacBook Pro M6.

• 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View: Desk View can be hit or miss, but the webcam itself should deliver the same sharp and colorful photo and video quality as previous MacBook Pro models.
• Sound system: As before, the MacBook Pro M6 has a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio and force-cancelling woofers. That means you’ll get exceptional audio quality for a laptop. There’s also a three-mic array that should also do a good job of capturing your voice during video calls and recordings.
• Media engine: The MacBook Pro M6 supports H.264/HEVC/ProRes/ProRes RAW + AV1 decode.

MacBook Pro M6 vs MacBook Pro M5: Outlook

As expected, the 14-inch MacBook Pro M6 is largely a modest refresh of previous models. But while there are no revolutionary upgrades, the M6 chip should provide meaningful performance and efficiency boosts. This is especially true for anyone still using an older M-series MacBook Pro or an even more ancient Intel model.

If you fall into the latter camp, then the MacBook Pro M6 is worth considering, even if it costs much more than before. However, anyone still using an M5- or even M4-powered MacBook Pro might want to reconsider, as those machines are still plenty powerful.

The MacBook Pro M6 arrives on November 6, so stay tuned for our full review where we’ll put Apple’s new flagship laptop through its paces.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple event LIVE: MacBook Pro M6 and iMac M6 just announced ahead of 'Pro and Tell'
• Apple unveils new iMac with M6 — here are all the upgrades
• Apple iPhone Duo 2 with Face ID is reportedly being tested even before the first foldable hits shelves

The MacBook Pro line is about to get a boost in power! The new 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro has hit the scene, and if you've been hankering for an upgrade, there's no better day than today to grab your M6 MacBook Pro pre-order.

According to Apple, the M6 MacBook Pro's 12-core GPU delivers up to 30 percent faster graphics and up to 25 percent faster AI workloads compared to the M5 chip. Meanwhile, graphics performance is up to 11x faster and AI performance is up to 13x faster compared to the capabilities of the M1 chip.

Apple's new 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. Pre-orders are live now (they started at 10:10 a.m. PT on October 28.) Pre-order now and you're set to get your new MacBook on November 6.

As well as the M6 chip, the MacBook Pro M6 features a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina display (you can opt for a Nano-Texture coating to reduce glare for an extra $150.) The base model comes with 16GB unified memory and 1TB storage. You also get a 70W power adaptor in the box.

In terms of ports, there are three Thunderbolt 4s on board, as well as a MagSafe 3 port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, HDMI port and SDXC card slot. The M6 MacBook Pro also gets Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support, and the option for two external displays.

There's already a lot to be impressed with about the MacBook Pro M6. We put the Mac mini M6 up against the MacBook Pro M5 Pro and MacBook Pro M5 Max in single-core Geekbench 6.7 tests, where the M6 chip came out on top. The new chip didn't take first place in the multi-core tests, but these improvements are still good to see.

Apple has unveiled an October refresh of its 14-inch MacBook Pro complete with the M6 processor that brings the laptop in line with the Mac mini and today's also-announced M6 iMac.

As part of Apple's "Pro and tell" announcements this week, we now have a brand new MacBook Pro to compliment the iMac and yesterday's iPad mini 8 reveal. If the rumors are true, then we may be in line for one more MacBook-related reveal this week: the highly-anticipated touchscreen MacBook Pro OLED.

But let's return to this device which, sadly, doesn't come with a touchscreen or much in the way of a new design. Reportedly, Apple is saving its MacBook Pro redesign for the M7 version of the machine next year. But then again, criticizing the MacBook Pro for its design seems churlish — the thin and light aluminum unibody enclosure conceals a vast amount of power and is just as good to look at now as it's always been.

As with the new iMac, the M6 MacBook Pro will ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate, which includes the next version of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.

Here's everything we know about the new M6 MacBook Pro.

M6 MacBook Pro: Price and release date

The new M6 MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 or $38.99 per month for 12 months. That gets you the default configuration of an M6 chip, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

In the U.K., the pricing starts at £1,999 and pre-orders in both regions begin on Wednesday, October 28. Shipping will begin on November 6.

In line with just about every other consumer electronics release this year, that's a price increase over the $1,599 starting cost of last year's 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro. Of course, since then Apple put the pricing up by $300 in June which makes this technically not a price hike... but still — it's a higher cost in my book thanks to ongoing component and memory shortages driven by AI demand.

M6 MacBook Pro: Performance

The biggest single reason for picking up the M6 MacBook Pro is in the name: Apple's M6 chip follows the A20 Pro inside the iPhone Duo and moves to a 2-nanometer architecture that'll deliver a notable power and efficiency gain over previous models.

We've seen the M6 chip only in one Mac product so far; the latest Mac mini and in our review we noted its performance "really shone" and "didn't miss a beat" even when we put it under extreme multitasking.

Here's a breakdown of how the chip inside the Mac mini held up against the same benchmarking tests as the M5 and M5 Pro chips inside last year's MacBook Pro.

Specific performance will, of course, be slightly different for this machine but the above results should give you an indication of how much more powerful it's likely to be over last year's MacBook Pro. It likely won't be enough to convince M5 owners to jump, but anyone still using an M1 or M2 MacBook Pro will find the M6 is the upgrade they've been waiting for.

The M5 chip consisted of a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU while the M6 improves that by two additional cores in both the CPU and the GPU. In addition, it's got a Dual 16-core Neural Engine for AI and machine learning that could take the fight to Nvidia's RTX Spark machines that are specifically targeting on-device AI workloads.

Apple says the 12-core GPU delivers up to 30 percent faster graphics and up to 25 percent faster AI workloads when compared to M5.

The Neural Engine is also supported by Neural Accelerators in each GPU core that should mean the M6 MacBook Pro is streets ahead when it comes to using AI-powered creative tools.

M6 MacBook Pro: Design

We could have seen this one coming a mile away, but Apple hasn't changed up the outward design of the MacBook Pro for the 2026 iteration. In fact, it's largely the same as the design we've had since 2021: a solid slab of machined aluminium that's both sturdy and light given the amount of power under the hood.

The M6 MacBook Pro retains the same 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inch dimensions and 3.4 pound weight as the previous generation and the color options remain a choice between Silver and Space Black.

Apple has kept the 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display running at 120Hz ProMotion for the M6 MacBook Pro refresh. We still have the notch cutout at the top, squashing the rumor Apple would switch it up for an iPhone-style Dynamic Island this time around. And, as mentioned up top, there's no touchscreen here for interacting with macOS 27 Golden Gate.

When it comes to ports, the M6 MacBook Pro keeps the current physical I/O layout: you get three Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and MagSafe 3 charging.

M6 MacBook Pro: Networking and battery life

Alongside the performance from the new M6 chip, the MacBook Pro also benefits from receiving Apple's N1 chip and a boost to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

The current model still uses Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 so the M6 refresh will give users lower networking latency and higher throughput. Bluetooth 6 leads to better distance tracking and more power efficiency for wireless accessories like game controllers or a pair of headphones.

Apple says the M6 MacBook Pro's battery life gets up to 14 additional hours for Intel-based upgraders and up to four more hours for users coming from M1, delivering up to 24 hours overall, so users can get more done on a single charge.

M6 MacBook Pro: Outlook

The MacBook Pro refresh is pretty customary once October rolls around and Apple has delivered more or less what we expected here: no big design changes but whole host of extra power and battery life efficiency.

We'll reserve judgement until we've got the new M6 MacBook Pro into the Tom's Guide lab for benchmarking but it's safe to say the new chip is going to deliver in some pretty clear-cut ways.

Anyone upgrading from an M1, M2 or older Intel MacBook Pro will see a dramatic leap in performance and read/write speeds. Creative professionals and anyone working with local AI will benefit from the additional power of Apple's new chip.

However, for those already using an M4 or M5 machine, there may be less of a reason to upgrade. Especially since the potential reveal of a MacBook Pro OLED tomorrow could easily eclipse today's news for many MacBook fans.

More from Tom's Guide

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• I put the iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 through a 10-round photo face-off — and there's a clear winner
• 'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers

Apple just announced the upgraded iPad mini 8, the first small Apple tablet with an OLED display, as part of the company's "Pro and Tell" event. New MacBooks should be announced later this week.

The update is huge but also comes with a $100 price increase, meaning the new iPad mini starts at $699, or $58.25 per month for 12 months. Fortunately, Apple also increased the trade-in value for older iPads.

It's not a massive increase — $20 more than previous rates at most — but it might help take some of the sting away from the new price tag.

As a reminder, this depends on the model. A newer iPad mini 7 will get you more money, and the tablet's condition matters, too. The numbers we're showing here are potentially what you can get if everything is in good shape.

MacBook trade-in values

This week we're expecting Apple to introduce a new version of the MacBook Pro, likely featuring the M6 chip that we just tested in the updated Mac mini. Additionally, like the iPad mini 8, we should also see a new MacBook Pro with a touchscreen OLED display, a first for Apple.

Like the iPad trade-in program, the Mac and MacBook version will also get a bit more money. Unfortunately, that suggests that the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Ultra will be far more expensive than last year's models.

We're looking at a potential $3,000 price tag for the OLED MacBook.

With that in mind, here's what you could get for trading in your MacBook or Mac.

Right now, we know that pre-orders for the iPad mini 8 will open up on Wednesday, October 28, with shipping beginning on November 6. Presumably, the new MacBooks will have a similar pre-order and shipping window.

How to trade in your iPad or Mac

If you haven't traded in with Apple before, you can swap out your device online or at an Apple Store.

In-store is pretty straightforward. You'll want to unpair any accessories, back up the device and sign out of services like iCloud, iTunes and the App Store. For an iPad, you don't need to erase anything as an Apple specialist will help you with that.

On a Mac, however, Apple requests you erase your hard drive and reinstall macOS. Once those are done, take it into an Apple Store where a specialist will inspect the device and give you a value; if it has no value, Apple will recycle the device.

If you go the online route, you'll need your device's serial number. Plus, you'll do it as part of purchasing a new Apple device. Adding the device is part of the checkout process. Apple will send you a trade-in confirmation email with instructions for backing up your data and prepping the device.

Finally, you can mail the device in or drop it off at an Apple Store. The company will include step-by-step instructions for this part in the confirmation email.

More from Tom's Guide

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Apple's second hardware event of October is taking place this week and I'm expecting it to be even bigger than the 'Welcome home' showcase a couple of weeks ago that unveiled the Apple HomeView.

This time around, Apple is widely expected to unveil OLED MacBooks in both 14-inch and 16-inch variants. And, at long, long last, Apple will make the jump to a full touchscreen for the first time ever. Slight sidebar here; my colleague Jason got tired of waiting and has already strapped a touchscreen to his MacBook Pro.

Mark Gurman, the Apple Whisperer himself, confirmed in a report over the weekend these machines are coming but added there'll be a twist to the tail. Although the MacBook Pro OLEDs will come with touch enabled, they'll be saddled with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chipset, while an also-announced non-touch MacBook Pro 14-inch will debut with the brand new M6 chip. Strange stuff indeed.

But there's going to be more on offer this week than just the MacBook OLED. Apple has today announced a refreshed iPad mini 8 — so let's dig into exactly what you can expect to see at Apple's "Pro and tell" event this week.

Apple 'Pro and tell': When is it?

Apple's "Pro and tell" event is taking place on Wednesday, October 28 and, just like the "Welcome home" showcase a couple of weeks ago, it was teased by Apple's senior vice president of marketing, Greg Joswiak.

There has been very little information beyond the name of the event, but some journalists (Tom's Guide included) have been invited to Los Angeles for an in-person presentation at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 5pm GMT on Wednesday, October 28.

We haven't seen any details on a livestream and following today's surprise iPad mini 8 announcement, it seems like Apple's plan is to drip-feed the announcements between now and Wednesday. We may see a few announcement videos and corresponding press releases posted to Apple's newsroom over the next few days.

Finally, once the products are out in the open, Apple will host its showcase on Wednesday giving media the chance to go hands-on with them. Of course, we'll be giving you up-to-the-minute reports as it happens, so stay tuned to Tom's Guide.

Apple 'Pro and tell': Confirmed and rumored products

If the rumors are to be believed, we could see up to four different devices unveiled by Wednesday.

Let's take a look at each one of them in turn.

Confirmed: iPad mini 8

The new iPad mini 8 is official and swaps the 8.3-inch LCD on the iPad mini 7 for a larger 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel. As a result, the tablet is thinner and lighter.

Another design upgrade is IP67 water and dust resistance. The iPad mini 8 is also powered by the A20 Pro chip, which should make it the fastest iPad mini yet.

You can read everything about the iPad mini 8 right here.

Rumored: MacBook Pro OLED

The most exciting new product likely to launch is the touchscreen-enabled MacBook Pro I mentioned up top. This could be the biggest upgrade to the MacBook product line in years but will require some heavy tweaks to macOS 27 to make it more touch-friendly. Considering Apple has been refining iPadOS for years, this isn't a chasm that'll be difficult to cross.

Elsewhere, the benefits of and OLED display will be hard to beat. You can expect a much better contrast with deeper blacks that the already-impressive Liquid Retina XDR display on the existing MacBook Pro.

As mentioned above, Mark Gurman seems to believe the MacBook Pro OLED (MacBook PrOLED?) will arrive with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips instead of an M6 chip. It will reportedly come in 14- and 16-inch variants and will be slimmer and lighter than the current MacBook Pro. Expect a sky-high price tag, though. Possibly as high as $2,399 for the 14-inch model and $3,599 for the 16-inch variant.

Rumored: M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch)

Alongside the MacBook Pro OLED, it's likely we'll also see an upgrade to the base level MacBook Pro, bumping it from the M5 chip to the M6 that was first unveiled inside the Mac Mini earlier this year.

Some rumors suggest we'll get a hole-punch front-facing camera in place of the current notch. Otherwise, it's likely to be the exact same outer shell as the current 14-inch MacBook Pros.

Rumored: M6 iMac

Following in the footsteps of the upgraded M6 MacBook Pro it's been heavily rumored we'll also see a new version of the iMac with the M6 chip on board. As with the M6 MacBook Pro, the M6 iMac will be an iterative upgrade that likely consists of a chip upgrade and little change to the design or the screen.

The current iMac features a 24-inch 4.5k Retina display with a 4,480 x 2,520 resolution and a max brightness of 500 nits and I'd expect to see the 2026 model remain unchanged.

There may be a lot of potential iMac customers out there hoping Apple will give its all-in-one the touchscreen treatment. Sadly, that doesn't look like it's on the cards for this week either.

Apple 'Pro and tell': Prices and should I buy?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but judging by the way prices have skyrocketed this year, it's unlikely these new Apple products are going to be easy on the wallet.

For example, the new iPad mini starts at $699, or $58.25 per month for 12 months, for the Wi-Fi model, and $849, or $70.75 per month for 12 months, for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. That's a big jump from the $499 starting price of the iPad mini 7 a couple of years ago and I expect the other devices announced this week to follow suit.

However, in some cases if you've been holding out on an upgrade for awhile, this could be the time to make your move. Pre-orders will almost certainly be available from Wednesday, October 28 (that's the case for the iPad mini 8) with shipping likely to occur in November.

Of course, we’ll keep an eye on the prices of outgoing models the day they’re discounted, so you’ll know exactly when the discount is real. And let's not forget that with Black Friday on the horizon we could see some stellar discounts on slightly older models that might make more sense for some people. Either way, the next few weeks are going to be prime time for buying a new Mac.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo wait times — latest updates and how to beat Apple's January delay
• I’ve been living with Nvidia’s RTX Spark for a week — it’s not a MacBook Pro killer but something much weirder and wildly powerful
• At $1,000, Apple's rumored HomeView Max better do the dishes, too

If you were hoping Apple’s leap into OLED touchscreens was going to come without a price rise, it looks like Wednesday is going to be a rude awakening.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman dumped the final puzzle pieces for Apple’s “Pro and Tell” event. The Cupertino crew are indeed launching 14- and 16-inch OLED touchscreen MacBook Pros with Dynamic Islands to boot, but starting prices could be up to $500 higher than current models.

This confirms exactly what we reported last week, when Counterpoint Research told us that the combo of tandem OLED tech, touch features and skyrocketing memory costs (RAMageddon) would trigger a $300 to $500 increase. Now, the leaks are backing it up.

But before you panic or grab your wallet, you need to understand the decision Apple will put on you in a couple of days.

M5 brute force vs M6 efficiency

The most confusing part of Wednesday’s event won’t be the price; it’ll be the silicon.

Apple is reportedly splitting the lineup. The ultra-premium MacBook Pr-OLEDs are sticking with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips — while the standard 14-inch Pro and new iMac will pack the brand-new M6, but not have OLED or touch.

It looks like a paradox, but it is actually a highly specific use-case decision.

The extra raw grunt of the Pro and Max chips really makes this the choice for creative pros who want that far better display (and Apple Pencil support…please, Apple), with the local AI chops to really challenge Nvidia’s RTX Spark.

The OLED waiting room is feeling airy

If you’re looking at that potential $3,000 OLED price tag and thinking, “I’ll just wait for the OLED MacBook Air,” you’ll be waiting a long time.

This is another part of Gurman’s report. Apple is indeed currently testing OLED panels for future MacBook Air and iMac models, but those releases are “some way off.”

MacBook Airs almost always refresh in the spring of each year, and it’s looking like the 2027 update will stick with the standard LCD display. You’ll have to pay the Pro premium for perfectly inky blacks and touchscreen gestures. There is no budget backdoor.

What kind of Mac user are you?

Wednesday is going to completely reset the Mac buying landscape. It used to be simple: pick your size, your M chip, and get largely the same excellent experience.

Now, it’s becoming a little more confusing, so let me help. If your daily workflow involves heavy video editing, digital art, or you have the budget to be an early adopter of macOS touch gestures, the OLED M5 Pro/Max is your dream machine. The multi-core power is there, and the screen will be unmatched.

But if you are a coder, writer or everyday power user who just wants future-proof efficiency without paying a $500 early-adopter display tax? Ignore the touchscreen hype. Grab the entry-level M6 MacBook Pro, enjoy the single-core speed bump, and keep that extra cash in your pocket.

More from Tom's Guide

• I strapped a touchscreen to my MacBook Pro to see if macOS is ready for next week — 3 things that need fixing quickly
• Ditch the data center: I fired my cloud chatbot and built a free local AI agent to run on my PC — and you can too
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If the tidal wave of leaks leading up to Apple’s ‘Pro and Tell’ event this week are accurate, we are days away from the biggest paradigm shift in Mac history: the OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro.

For a decade, the Cupertino crew swore they would never put a touchscreen on a Mac. They told us the ergonomics were wrong. They told us to buy an iPad. But the PC industry moved on, OLED got cheaper, and now Apple is finally caving.

But throwing a touch panel on a laptop is only half the battle; the operating system actually has to know what to do with your fingers. Rather than wait for Apple to take my money, I got impatient. Now with macOS2 27 installed, I went back and hooked the Intricuit Magic Screen touch layer to my current M5 MacBook Pro.

And after aggressively poking my display to see what a touch-first Mac actually feels like, it’s clear that macOS in its current form is suffering an identity crisis. Apple has a lot of software duct tape to apply before next week.

The finger vs. the mouse

The first 10 minutes of poking my MacBook Pro felt so familiar to other touch-enabled laptops like the Surface Laptop Ultra I just reviewed. Scrolling through articles with a flick of the wrist, pinching to zoom and tapping to pause on YouTube videos feels instantly natural.

But then, you actually try to get some work done.

Right now, macOS treats your finger exactly like a mouse cursor. There seems to be no native touch intelligence layer bridging the gap between your physical digit and the digital UI. That’s not a bad thing when it comes to simple tapping and scrolling, but the preciseness of a mouse cursor vs the blunt instrument of a finger is an issue.

When you try to hit the tiny, classic “traffic light” buttons in the top corner of the window, you’re playing a frustrating game of digital darts. And there isn’t any real gesture control built-in here to make the app bar appear or snap windows together.

What macOS desperately needs

Now, I know that chances are if Apple’s going to announce an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro next week, it's already done a lot of the software tweaks in secret. But if I can propose three things that would make it great:

Hardware over software?

Using a touchscreen Mac today proves that the hardware experience is undeniably brilliant, but while there are some touch-friendly features on the trackpad, the OS software at the moment is actively fighting you.

If Apple unveils this MacBook Pro next week, it’s likely to be paired with a touch-optimized macOS update that borrows heavily from the iPhone Duo and iPadOS. And if they do that, they won’t just be catching up to Windows laptops; they will redefine how you interact with your computer.

Because ultimately, Windows 11 isn’t really touch friendly either, give or take some buttons. It’s a part of the laptop experience that has gone ignored for a while. And I’m quietly excited for Apple to change this.

We will find out on Wednesday. Keep your screen wipes ready.

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Apple’s ‘Pro and Tell’ event is just days away, and the tech world is practically vibrating over the rumors of a redesigned OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro.

It sounds like a dream machine. But before you get your wallet out for it, we need to have a very grounded conversation about what that screen is actually going to cost you, and whether OLED is going to be a smokescreen for skyrocketing memory costs.

I’ve been speaking with David Naranjo, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, who just ran a Bill of Materials (BOM) analysis on what this leap to OLED actually means for the PC industry.

And the data tells a fascinating story: OLED isn’t just making your laptop look prettier. It is fundamentally changing how much you are going to pay, and acting as a very convenient distraction for rising hardware prices.

Brace for a $300 to $500 hike

Let’s cut straight to the math. Right now, if you want a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and a mini-LED display, the starting price is $2,499. If Apple drops an OLED model next week, Naranjo is expecting that cost to jump.

“Based on a BOM analysis for the current mini LED model and our IT Panel cost report, I would expect a 14" OLED version to start between $2,799 and $2,999,” Naranjo commented.

That’s a sizable $3-500 “Apple Tax” increase overnight, so where is that money going? According to Counterpoint, it covers the advanced tandem OLED technology (the same bright, vivid panel you see in the M5 iPad Pro), the long-rumored touchscreen features, and — crucially — ongoing memory expenses.

With PC demand slowing and buyers pinching pennies, Apple and other manufacturers (more on those in a minute) are betting on the higher end — that you’ll pay more for something premium to get those perfectly inky blacks and a touch interface.

The memory cost distraction

Here is where my BS detector starts blaring. Across the tech world right now, we are quietly living through an era of memory hyper-inflation. A "RAMageddon," if you will.

And over the past year, I’ve seen lots of manufacturers point to new OLED screens as the justification — even when the internal specs haven’t moved an inch.

A great recent example, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 has the same internals as last year’s model, but it’s $300 more and packs an OLED display. Not to say that screen isn’t good, but it got me thinking: is OLED just a shiny smokescreen to soften the blow of massively inflated memory costs?

Naranjo wouldn’t go as far as calling it a smokescreen — OLED does genuinely improve contrast, color accuracy and response times after all. But he does admit it is a very convenient shield.

"It’s becoming a way for PC makers to justify higher prices as memory and component costs go up," he told me. "Manufacturers are using these premium displays to protect their profits and balance the rising costs."

In other words: RAM and SSD storage are getting ridiculously expensive to acquire right now. Instead of just raising the price of the laptop and making you angry, Apple and others may be slapping a gorgeous OLED panel on the front so you feel like you are getting an upgrade for extra cash.

Plot twist: Windows users should thank Apple?

If you use Windows laptops from the likes of Asus, Lenovo HP or Dell, you’re probably rolling your eyes right now. They’ve had stunning OLED screens for years. So why is Apple getting the credit for a “turning point” in the industry?

Put simply, it comes down to supply chain bullying.

Apple isn’t the first to the party (same as they weren’t with the iPhone Duo), but they buy at a scale that bends reality. "Thanks to its influence and buying power, Apple could speed up investment in the display supply chain," Naranjo notes.

Just like they did with smartphones, when Apple adopts OLED for MacBooks, display factories have to massively expand their manufacturing capacity.

That expansion improves production yields and inevitably lowers the cost of the screens for everyone. Counterpoint forecasts OLED notebook panel shipments will jump 50% in 2026, while mini-LED (the current MacBook Pro tech) plummets by 38%.

Apple’s rumored leap next week would subsidize cheaper OLED screens for budget and mainstream Windows laptops over the next four years.

The verdict

If this announcement happens next week, and you’re planning to hit the “buy” button on an OLED MacBook Pro, you need to accept you’re probably paying quite the early-adopter tax to cover rising memory costs.

If your livelihood depends on perfect color accuracy, or you have been desperately waiting to touch your Mac’s screen, that $2,799 starting price might be worth it to you.

But if you just need a reliable, lightning-fast workhorse, this price prediction is your ultimate signal. I mentioned this in other articles before but to summarize: wait for that October 28 event and watch the current mini LED MacBook Pro prices like a hawk.

Outgoing stock plus Black Friday build-up means you can expect some steep discounts.

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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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Apple cannot wait to “pro and tell” all next week, which if you’ve been following the rumor mill, is marketing speak for we’re announcing new Macs and we’re going to enjoy the pun.

A deluge of leaks point to an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, a new entry-level M6 MacBook Pro, M6 iMac and an OLED iPad mini 8 — with announcements expected at an in-person media “experience” on Wednesday, October 28, and sales starting as soon as Friday, November 6.

Translation for anyone with a shopping cart open right now: close the tab.

First, the thing you actually came here to do

If you are considering buying a MacBook Pro, iMac or iPad mini in the next 30 days, stop.

You are standing in the exact spot where people have handed Apple full price for hardware that becomes last year’s model in literal days. Three separate outcomes favor you being patient:

• You want the latest? Wait two weeks — the new machines are about to exist, and the OLED MacBook Pro is the biggest notebook upgrade Apple’s shipped in years.
• You want a bargain? Wait slightly longer — when Apple refreshes, the outgoing machines don’t vanish. They get discounted, and retailers will start clearing stock at genuine discounts within weeks.
• You need a laptop today? That’s fine, this advice has an escape hatch, and it’s at the bottom of this piece.

Now, the fun part — what have you been waiting for.

What October 28 is (probably) going to bring

Let’s start with the big one: the OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro. This redesigned prosumer notebook has been rumored for years, and it’s going to be the biggest change to Apple’s notebook lineup in years.

Outside of all that vivid OLED goodness, gorgeous contrast and easy-on-the-eyes HDR, this is a tectonic shift in the way you can actually interact with your Mac — taking notes from the iPad to bring touch to the conversation. If you’ve faithfully owned an M1 MacBook Pro, this is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for.

Then, there’s the new entry-level M6 MacBook Pro. The rumors seem to be aligning around this sharing the exact same 14-inch shell of the MacBook Pros you’ve seen over the past few years, but with that all-important silicon upgrade.

As we’ve found out from testing this base model over the past few years, it’s become clear that the “cheapest MacBook Pro” has always been the best-value Mac nobody noticed.

Next, the all-in-one looks set to get the silicon bump. The M6 iMac is less revolution, more the annual injection of “newer is faster,” to keep the all-in-one up-to-date for folks who would rather not think about towers, monitors or cable management.

And finally, there’s the OLED iPad mini — which is, low key, the one I’m most excited for. I’ve loved the iPad mini for a while now, but that LCD display has always been the thorn in its side. Clearly, the mini’s been on borrowed time for two years; this is Apple saying it isn’t dead, it’s just been saving its energy.

Who’s actually safe to buy now?

Playing both sides of the wallet is my job, so here’s the honest carve-out. If your laptop just died, your classes start this month, or you’re about to spend your rent money — buy what you need, today.

Any Mac on Apple’s current shelves is absurdly fast; your productivity is worth more than a speculative OLED panel, and the M4 MacBook Pro is still a monster.

What you should not do in a panic: buy the current MacBook Pro at full price as a “just in case” machine while your old one still works, which is how a lot of folks look when refresh cycles hit.

And if you’re holding a trade-in-eligible Mac: lock in your trade-in quote now or wait for the dust to settle, because trade-in allowances on older generations typically drop once new silicon is officially on the table.

What to do while we wait

Stay locked in on Tom’s Guide — we’ll update the moment Apple confirms or changes anything. We've received our invite to the October 28 event, and we can’t wait to see everything the Cupertino crew’s been working on!

On top of that, we’ll keep an eye on the prices of outgoing models the day they’re discounted, so you’ll know exactly when the discount is real. If the November 6 sale date is true, Black Friday collides with fresh discontinuations, and that is going to be the single best fortnight of the year for buying Macs.

The “Pro and Tell” pun may be a bit cringe, but the buying window is not.

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Apple's next product launch event is taking place on October 28 in Los Angeles, where we expect the company to launch a touchscreen MacBook Pro, an OLED iPad mini and more.

Invitations for the event, dubbed "Pro and Tell," started going out this week and Tom's Guide received one. It's pretty clear the from the teaser that the next MacBook Pro will be a prominent part of the event.

Here's everything you need to know about the Pro and Tell event.

When is Pro and Tell?

The Apple Pro and Tell event takes place on October 28, 2026 starting at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.

What we expect to see

We expect at least three new devices to launch next week, including a new MacBook.

The touchscreen MacBook Pro is supposed to feature an OLED panel, a first for an Apple laptop. The rumored MacBook Ultra, could also get a name change and slight redesign, mostly making it thinner and lighter.

Additionally, Apple may abandon the webcam notch in favor of an iPhone-esque Dynamic Island. It's not clear what chipset it will feature; rumors have suggested both the current M5 Pro and M5 Max silicon or the newer M6 chip which first launched in the latest Mac mini.

The updated iPad mini similarly should feature an OLED panel, following the iPad Air and iPad Pro from the last two years. It may also get a repositioned front-facing camera to support landscape video calls.

Finally, we should see an M6-powered version of the iMac. We aren't expecting a redesign or any other new features based on current rumors. If the new Mac mini is any indication, an M6 iMac will be significantly faster and more efficient.

Outlook

Apple has been rumored to be working on an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro for years, so it will be interesting to see how the company finally implements the new display.

The iPad mini is one of the best tablets available, and adding an OLED screen should make it even better.

Tom's Guide will be on hand to get all the latest news and hands-on with Apple's newest devices. Keep us in your tabs to stay up to date.

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We now have confirmation that Apple is hosting another product launch on October 28, and with it should come the official reveal of the touchscreen MacBook Ultra and the iPad mini 8. The question is, when will those products actually go on sale? The MacBook might hit the Apple Store as soon as November 6.

That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, during the latest episode of the Power On podcast. According to Gurman, Apple Stores are scheduled for a "big floor reset" overnight between November 5 and November 6. Gurman believes this is being done to prepare Apple's retail locations for the unannounced MacBooks.

The release date makes total sense, given what we know about how Apple tends to release new products. November 6 is just nine days after the October 28 event — and a Friday. Apple loves to release new products on a Friday, and that usually happens the week following a big launch event. Pre-orders will likely open following the event, or on Friday October 30.

It's likely that this big retail switch will also be to aid the release of the iPad mini 8 and M6 upgrades for the iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro. They are all expected to appear at the October 28 event, and will presumably go on sale shortly afterwards.

Not an M6 chip in sight

Gurman also reiterated claims that the touchscreen MacBook may not come with an M6 chip. He claims that Apple is "pretty much done" with the M6, which only debuted last month, and will not be developing any M6 Pro, M6 Max or M6 Ultra chips.

This reiterates past rumors that Apple would launch the touchscreen MacBook with M5 Pro, M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.

That should offer significantly better performance power than the standard M6 chip, which wouldn't be fitting for a premium device that may, or may not, bear the "Ultra" name. Further chip upgrades won't be happening until the release of the M7 series, which Gurman expects to happen "at the end of next year."

As for why Apple is skipping the high-end M6 chips, rumors suggest it's because it wants Apple Silicon to pivot more towards AI and better graphics performance Presumably, by scrapping the M6 variants, Apple can pour extra effort and resources into developing the M7 chips sooner than it otherwise would have.

This means those of you that want to prioritize performance and on-device AI processing may want to hold off on picking up the touchscreen MacBook until the launch of the M7. Though whether they will come to the MacBook Ultra this time next year, or much later than that, isn't clear right now — so a delay is a risk you may have to take.

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We're still catching our breath from the Apple HomeView announcements this week and another Apple event is reportedly right around the corner.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman revealed that Apple is planning another product launch in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28. He specified that the event will showcase a touchscreen MacBook, iPad mini and M6 Mac.

Here's what we know about the three devices based on rumors and leaks.

Touchscreen MacBook

The MacBook Ultra will be the headliner of the event as it should be Apple's first laptop to feature both a touchscreen and an OLED display. It was rumored to be thinner and lighter thanks to the slimmer OLED panel, but a new leak last week walked that back.

The high-end laptop should come in 14- and 16-inch versions powered by either the M6 Pro or M6 Max chipsets.

Thanks to the OLED touchscreen and flagship silicon, we expect the MacBook Ultra to carry a steep premium price that could be at least 20% higher than the current MacBook Pro. That translates to a starting price of around $2,499 for the 14-inch model and $3k for the 16-inch version.

iPad mini 8

The eighth-generation iPad mini is expected to follow its larger brethren and finally sport an OLED display. It's not clear if it will be a tandem OLED like in the M5 iPad Pro though.

Beyond that, with the iPhone 18 Pro finally here, it's likely that the new iPad mini will feature the A20 chipset.

And that's it for the hardware; if the HomeView event is any indication, expect to hear a lot about Siri AI and how it'll work with your iPad.

M6 upgrades

Beyond the iPad mini and MacBook OLED, Apple should introduce M6 versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the iMac desktop computer. This follows the initial launch of this upgraded chip in the new Mac mini M6.

We're not expecting any major redesigns or updates for those devices beyond the new chip.

Tom's Guide will be on hand with all the latest news from the October 28 event so keep us in your tabs to find out what Apple reveals in two weeks.

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Apple has confirmed it will be hosting an event on October 13, which is expected to include the first wave of Apple's first-party smart home devices — plus a few old favorites like HomePod and Apple TV. However, something you shouldn't expect to see at the event is the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook Ultra.

According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple will be hosting a separate launch event on October 27. Expected to be on the agenda is the eagerly-anticipated MacBook Ultra, a new iPad mini, plus new versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac running on M6 chips.

This will apparently be a proper Apple launch event too, rather than some scattered press releases with an update to the Apple Store. Gurman's sources claim there will be an online video presentation, focused on creative professionals, alongside an in-person event for members of the press — likely so they can experience the new devices for themselves.

Apple October 27 event: What to expect

Gurman claims the new touchscreen MacBooks are codenamed K114 and K116, and have a design that's lighter than current models. Naturally, the screen is where a lot of the upgrades seem to be, with a sharper OLED display and a Dynamic Island hole-punch in place of the current MacBook display notches.

There had been rumors that Apple could launch the new laptops with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip. Apparently, Apple is gearing up to skip the M6 equivalents and move straight onto the M7 series, with the goal of boosting its AI processing capabilities. So it seems as though claims the Ultra may not come with any kind of M6 chip might have been overstated.

The M6 Macs are codenamed J804 and J833, with designs that look like existing models. Meanwhile, the iPad mini 8 is expected to come with an OLED display, a landscape FaceTime camera, and an upgraded speaker system.

We don't know how much any of these new devices might cost, or if Apple has any hidden plans that haven't leaked yet. Thankfully, though, it seems we won't have to wait too long to find out more — especially considering there had been rumors the MacBook Ultra wouldn't be arriving until next year.

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Apple is expected to launch a redesigned MacBook Pro later this month with the biggest changes affecting the laptop's display. For years, rumors and leaks have suggested the MacBook Ultra will feature an OLED screen with touch support.

Many of those rumors originated from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, an Apple insider, who has reported previously that the OLED MacBook would be thinner and lighter. Recently, though, Gurman has walked back some of the redesign rumors.

On X, Gurman responded to questions about the Apple design compared to both the new Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra and the current 16" MacBook Pro M5.

He claimed the new MacBook would be lighter than the current model, which weighs in at 4.7 lbs. though it's not clear from his response if it will be lighter than the new Surface, which Microsoft claims weighs 4.41 pounds.

"I don’t think it’ll be significantly thinner in the end," Gurman responded to a question about the dimensions.

What we know about the OLED MacBook so far

Gurman's response does contradict his own previous reporting that the laptop would be thinner and lighter. The expectation is that the OLED panel, more compact than the current miniLED LCD display, would allow Apple to shave some millimeters off.

Apple has been testing OLED panels on the iPad Pro and it appears finally ready for laptop primetime alongside touchscreen capabilities. The new panel could also introduce a Dynamic Island, as seen on the best iPhones.

Apple has yet to announce any upgraded M6 chips after including the base one in the new Mac mini M6. Previously, the OLED MacBook was rumored to launch with the unannounced M6 Pro and M6 Max silicon.

Apple could announce its more powerful M6 Pro and Max chips and the new MacBook at the same time, but don't be surprised if the first iteration is powered by the M5 Pro, M5 Max or even the M5 Ultra, like with the new Mac Studio.

We also want to note that it may not carry the MacBook Ultra moniker. The iPhone Duo was rumored to launch as the iPhone Ultra until rumors suddenly shifted a week before it was announced. For now, it's either the Ultra or an OLED MacBook Pro.

When could the MacBook Ultra launch

Rumors have suggested that new CEO John Ternus wants to move away from more scheduled releases, but Apple has typically launched new MacBooks in late October or early November.

As an example, the M5 MacBook Pro was announced in mid-October last year, while the M5 Pro and M5 Max versions didn't show up until March of this year. If Apple doesn't launch the OLED MacBook soon, we could see it in early 2026.

One thing we do expect is a price increase, and not just because of the ongoing RAM crisis. It could cost up to 20% more thanks to the OLED touchscreen.

That would translate to a starting price of $2,499 for the 14-inch model and $2,999 for the 16-inch version, up from $2,199 and $2,699 for the current models. Of course, fully kitted-out configurations could hit closer to $4,000 and higher.

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It's not been a good year for those of you hoping to upgrade to a new Apple device. The company has pushed up all of its prices in the last few months, and the fact Apple doesn't really do discounts means that your odds of saving money on MacBooks, iPhones and other devices is slim to none.

Fortunately, Prime Day is one of the few times you can find some actual savings on Apple products, including the MacBook Air. Amazon has knocked the MacBook Air 13-inch with M5 chip down to $1,099, while the MacBook Air 15-inch with M5 chip is now $1,299 — which is a $200 saving on both models.

It's worth noting that these discounts bring both machines back to their pre-price hike prices. So you're not actually saving money compared to if you'd bought both laptops at launch. But since prices won't be permanently getting cut in the near future, this is a deal you can't afford to miss.

The MacBook Air 13-inch is our pick for the best MacBook money can buy, on account of its lightweight durable design, the speedy performance from the M5 chip, the vivid display and the excellent battery life. This MacBook can last 15 hours and 28 minutes according to our testing, which is longevity a lot of laptops can only dream of.

On top of that, Apple has included the usual svelte design we've seen on recent MacBook Airs. That includes MagSafe charging, two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It's not ideal if you like having a lot of ports on your laptop, but if you can handle using USB-C adapters for extra functions, then it's not the end of the world.

The MacBook Air 15-inch is much the same, but with a larger display. Battery life and performance are similar to the 13-inch model, and the design is almost identical. It's just a bigger machine, with more display space for you to work with. Though that does come with the downside of being $200 more than the 13-inch model.

These specific models offer 16GB of unified memory, a 512GB SSD, a 12MP Center Stage camera (with a display notch), Touch ID, Wi-Fi 7 support, and all the best features you'll find from Apple Intelligence and macOS 27 (aka Golden Gate). Color options include Silver, Sky Blue,. Midnight (black) and Starlight (metallic cream).

Additional storage and memory is available, but you'll obviously have to pay more for the privilege. $300 more for an upgraded 1TB of storage space, or $500 more for a 1TB SSD and 25GB of RAM.

Shop more deals

• See all deals in the Prime Day sale
• Sign up for Amazon Prime

Finding the best MacBook deals during the upcoming October Prime Day event will be trickier than before. Thanks to the recent Apple price hikes, the company’s laptops all now have higher starting prices. So while you’ll see price cuts on MacBooks, they are reductions from the new prices.

Even if the days of the $799 MacBook Air are over, saving money still matters, and that’s why I’m here to show you the best Prime Day MacBook sales already underway. I test and use MacBooks every single day, so I know which ones to recommend to specific folks — whether it’s a $689 MacBook Neo for students, a $1,099 MacBook Air M5 for everyday use, or a MacBook Pro M5 Pro for power users.

We may see stronger deals on October 6 and October 7 during Prime Day proper. But if you don’t want to risk Amazon running out of stock, you should take advantage of these current discounts. Whatever your needs, there’s a MacBook for you. Here are the best October Prime Day MacBook deals happening right now.

Quick Links

• shop all MacBooks: from $689 @ Amazon
• MacBook Neo: was $699 now $689 @ Amazon
• MacBook Air 13" (M5): was $1,299 now $1,099 @ Amazon
• MacBook Air 15" (M5): was $1,499 now $1,299 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 14" (M5/1TB): was $1,999 now $1,839 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 14" (M5 Pro/1TB): was $2,499 now $2,345 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Pro/1TB): was $2,999 now $2,749 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max/2TB): was $4,399 now $3,899 @ Amazon

Prime Day MacBook deals

Ever since Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo last month, just about everyone who’s seen and held it hasn’t stopped raving about the hardware. Between its thin profile and that seamless-looking inner display, the iPhone Duo could really be the one to convince people to make the upgrade to a foldable phone.

Yet, there’s one particular characteristic that has been stealing the conversation: the nano-texture coating on its 7.6-inch main display. I’ve watched enough videos in the past couple of weeks to know that its visibility can wash out, or appear unviewable, if it’s slightly off-axis. On camera, it looks like a catastrophic design flaw for a premium device.

I was concerned at first, but the more I thought about this intentional design, the less worried I became. Here’s why.

Reflection versus diffusion

The matte versus glossy conversation has been around for ages, but considering how the best phones are practically all fashioned with glossy panels, coming across one that has a matte display undoubtedly evokes surprise. But honestly, it boils down to how each handles ambient light: reflection versus diffusion.

Glossy displays, like the Super AMOLED panel Samsung’s leaned on for years with its phones, offer outstanding contrast, punchy colors, ultra-wide viewing angles, and most notably deep blacks, making it hard to tell if the panel’s on or not.

While they’re certainly vibrant, the major drawback is their reflectivity. Like a mirror, glossy glass bounces light sources and causes harsh glare under direct sunlight or overhead light fixtures.

Matte screens, by contrast, incorporate a textured or chemically treated surface designed to break up incoming light rays and diffuse them.

Obviously, the immediate benefit of matte displays is glare reduction — which inherently reduces eye strain in bright environments. The trade-off is that there can be a subtle loss of contrast, slightly raised black levels in bright rooms, and reduced clarity or color pop when viewed off-axis.

It’s a proven tech

While seeing a matte finish on a flagship smartphone feels novel, this isn't Apple experimenting with a piece of new tech just to see if it works.

In fact, Apple has refined its nano-texture displays across its hardware lineup for years now, consistently proving that it can mitigate reflections far better than glossy screens — all without sacrificing display performance.

For example, my colleagues tested the nano-texture option on the M4 MacBook Pro, and it proved to be an absolute game-changer, especially under direct sunlight. Just look at the side-by-side of the two competing display technologies above. When you’re interacting directly with these devices, your vantage point is of the utmost importance — not someone’s way off to your side.

We’ve seen similar payoffs across other Apple devices, like the premium Studio Display and high-end configurations of the iPad Pro. In just about every implementation, Apple has demonstrated that its nano-texture process avoids the muddy, low-contrast haziness typical of cheap matte films.

By bringing what it has developed and refined over the years to the iPhone Duo, Apple isn’t taking an experimental gamble.

iPhone Duo will still be a test

Apple faces a steep hurdle with the iPhone Duo because it needs to convince loyalists that a matte finish is an upgrade — not a downgrade.

For nearly two decades, every iPhone has relied on glossy glass to deliver the vibrant saturation, deep blacks, and eye-popping contrast users associate with Apple's Retina displays.

I completely understand the decision Apple made here. User visibility is paramount under harsh lighting conditions, especially when there’s far more screen real estate prone to glare and reflections.

By choosing a nano-texture display, Apple ensures that visibility won’t be an issue for anyone using its upcoming foldable. That’s a big reason why I appreciate gadgets with matte screens, like TCL’s NXTPAPER 70 Pro and NXTPAPER 14 tablet.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple reveals iPhone Duo has a 'replaceable' display layer — what it means for you
• 4 new iOS 27 features that turn Apple Notes into a productivity powerhouse
• 4 ways Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 beats Apple iPhone Duo

Whether you're picking up an iPhone, iPad or some other Apple device, you'll know that official repairs can get very expensive. Heck, a simple screen repair on the iPhone 18 Pro Max is going to cost $379, which is almost a third of the cost of the phone itself. AppleCare+ makes those fees a little more palatable, so long as you're willing to subscribe and pay a monthly fee.

The problem is that paying for AppleCare on multiple devices can get pretty expensive, especially if you're part of a whole family of Apple users. AppleCare One already offers the chance to cover up to three devices on a single plan, and now AppleCare One Family offers that same coverage for up to six people — for $50 a month.

What devices you can add

There are surprisingly few limits on the number of devices you can add to this plan. All devices that are covered by AppleCare will be automatically added to the Family plan when you sign up, as will any devices purchased within the previous 60 days.

However, devices that are over four years old, or AirPods and Beats that are over a year old, will need to undergo a device check to ensure they're in good condition. This can be done remotely, or by visiting your nearest Apple Store. Apple has also made it clear that you can't add more than six Vision Pro headsets to the plan — not that anyone would.

The usual AppleCare+ service fees still apply. Battery servicing is totally free under the plan, while repairs to the screen and back glass are $29. Other accidental damage is $99, while theft or loss claims come with a $149 deductible. You're also limited to six loss and theft claims over the course of a year.

Devices will remain covered so long as you keep your AppleCare One Family Plan active, and provided they connect to an Apple server at least once every 12 months. However, Apple does note that devices can be removed from the plan if it runs out of the necessary parts to service and make repairs.

Coverage is also dependent on the devices being signed into a family member's Apple Account. If they sign out, and a non-family member later signs in, coverage will end.

How to set up AppleCare One Family

AppleCare One Family is currently only available in the United States, and the setup process can be initiated by any adult member of a Family Sharing Group. Payments are automatically made by the family organizer, regardless of which adult actually signs up. However, the person who initiated the subscription can choose their own payment method if they prefer. Other family members will be restricted from signing up for a different AppleCare plan unless they leave the family group.

If you're part of a family or friendship group that's big on using Apple products, signing up for an AppleCare One Family plan feels like a no-brainer. A simple AppleCare One plan costs $20 a month, and coverage for up to three devices is included in the cost plus $6 a month for each additional product.

The Family plan with a full six people means that you're paying $8.33 per person, and without any major device limitations. All you have to do is make sure the participants actually pay you their dues, which should be a lot easier considering sharing money is now as easy as bumping phones together.

More from Tom's Guide

• Your phone may run iOS 27, but only these devices support the new Siri AI
• Why your iPhone says 'Optimizing Search and Siri' in iOS 27 — and how to speed it up
• I’ve used macOS Golden Gate for 3 months — and here’s what I think

macOS Golden Gate is here! Though not a complete overhaul like macOS Sequoia, it brings a slew of new and enhanced AI features and smoother overall performance that make the best MacBooks feel more personal and streamlined.

I’ve been using the Golden Gate beta since it launched in June, and the latest build is what you’ll find in the final version of macOS Golden Gate. So far, I’ve found it a perfectly reasonable OS update that isn’t a radical departure from last year’s. That said, the new, smarter Siri AI can be handy, and Liquid Glass is less obtrusive now.

Here’s my full review of macOS Golden Gate.

macOS Golden Gate review: Supported devices

The Intel era is over, as macOS Golden Gate doesn’t run on those older machines. Here is a complete list of Macs that support Golden Gate.

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

macOS Golden Gate review: New features

Hey, Siri!

A dedicated Siri AI app for macOS Golden Gate now functions like chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. This app is also available on iPadOS 27 and iOS 27, and is arguably the biggest new feature for the Apple devices that support it.

You can access the Siri AI app either by clicking it in the Dock or in the Menu bar. You can also open it from Spotlight. This opens a dedicated chat window where you can ask Siri AI questions or talk to it about whatever’s on your mind. Again, it works like the chatbots you’re already familiar with.

And since Siri AI is now baked into the operating system, it can do more than just chat. For example, if you’re looking at a schedule, you’ll see an “add to calendar” button appear. I’ve even had this happen when I suggest a date/time to meet with friends. When you right-click on folders, files, or apps, you’ll often see an “Ask Siri” option at the very top, where you can begin asking questions about whatever you’re highlighting.

You can even create Shortcuts by typing or speaking what you want instead of building complications manually. While I wouldn’t call this vibe coding, it can feel that way since you’re using natural language.

For those in the Apple ecosystem, Siri AI can be more useful than other chatbots because it’s integrated into the system. However, third-party integrations are still a work in progress, so Siri AI’s usability for you might be limited if you use Google apps like Gmail, since Siri AI doesn’t work with them (yet).

If you’re like me and generally don’t use AI, then the updated Siri won’t make a huge difference with your macOS experience. In fact, you might forget it’s even there! But if you use AI, you can certainly get more done with the new Siri.

Liquid Glass slider

If you’re not a fan of the Liquid Glass UI, you’ll be happy to know there’s now a slider to adjust its opacity. It lets you dial the effect up or down, and I’m surprised it took this long to implement it this way.

Beyond the slider, you’ll notice more complex background visuals appear more diffused, which improves text readability (a big issue for some). The edges of icons are also more pronounced, so they stand out more from the background. All app windows now have a uniform corner radius to help them pop out.

I've never had a problem with Liquid Glass because I think it’s an interesting visual effect. That said, I’m glad that folks can now fine-tune it to their liking. The slider is especially neat because it’s easy to use and clearly shows how much of a difference there is when you go from one extreme to the other.

Spatial Reframing

Spatial Reframing isn’t exclusive to macOS Golden Gate, but since the Reframe tool stole the show at WWDC, it’s a feature worth spotlighting if you take a lot of photos.

As its name suggests, Reframe lets you reframe existing photos and adjust the perspective as you like. This can be especially handy if you need to take photos in a hurry, since you can come back later to fix them.

After you select Reframe in the new Tools option in Photos’ editing mode, Apple Intelligence scans the photo you’ve selected. Then you can swipe your finger across the touchpad to change the perspective. Sliders on the side also give you more precise control over the angle, orientation, or size. When you’re done, the AI shifts things around to fill in any blanks.

This isn’t a feature I use often since I like photos in their original form, even if they’re not perfect. That said, I can’t knock the results, as Reframe does an excellent job of living up to its name. And to be fair, the changes made don’t radically alter the image — you just get a better version of what you’ve already snapped.

macOS 27 Golden Gate review: Verdict

Apple Intelligence wasn’t all it was hyped to be after it was first announced, but it’s now living up to its potential on Macs and the other Apple devices it can run on. If you’re a big AI user already, then macOS Golden Gate could be a huge game-changer for you. Other features such as the more customizable Liquid Glass UI and Spatial Reframing might not be monumental, but they’re nice additions regardless.

Even if macOS Golden Gate feels like a holding-pattern update for Macs, it’s still worthwhile and thankfully doesn’t ruin the great experience we had with Tahoe. If you own a Mac that supports the OS, you should update as soon as you can.