The big reversal

Apple is finally breaking one of Steve Jobs' most enduring taboos — and the result could be a line of products that redefines the relationship between Mac, iPhone and iPad. Next Monday, October 28, Cupertino confirms the "Pro and Tell" event in Los Angeles, and the star is clear: the first OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro.

The event, whose name plays on "proclaim" and a direct reference to the MacBook Pro, will follow the pattern that Apple has adopted this month of concentrated launches. It is the third event of the season — after the HomeView, HomePod mini 2 and other smart home products — but this time the focus is clearly on Mac and iPad. The invitation has been sent to the press, with the slogan "Pro and Tell", and hands-on sessions for creators begin at 10 AM Pacific time.

A screen that changes everything

The first thing everyone will notice is the screen. OLED. With thinner bezels, a camera hole that replaces the current notch and the iPhone's Dynamic Island, the OLED panel is not just an evolution of the display — it is a paradigm shift in how users will interact with their computer.

Touch on Mac has always been a taboo for Apple. Jobs, in the 2000s, stated that he "didn't know how anyone would use a computer with a touchscreen", and even after the introduction of the iPhone, Tim Cook maintained this separation. The company defended for years that it did not want to "mix" the iPhone, iPad and Mac experiences. But the world has changed, and touch — especially the addition of an OLED screen that enables more precise and natural gestures — seems to have convinced the company to reconsider.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro line could be "significantly lighter" than current models, in addition to being thinner. This is because OLED eliminates the need for the protective glass layer that current LCD displays require, and the construction of the screen itself can be thinner. The Dynamic Island replacing the notch — which has already been an iPhone feature since 2021 — also reduces the upper bezel area.

What does this mean for the end user? Less weight, more portability. If the 16-inch MacBook Pro reduces its weight by 200 to 300 grams, that could be the differentiator for professionals who work in the field or travel frequently.

The hardware: M5 Pro, M5 Max and M6

Here the news is more mixed. The big bet — the M6 chip — will not be used in the OLED touchscreen MacBook Pros. According to Gurman's sources, Apple will keep the current M5 Pro and M5 Max for the premium models. Anyone wanting the M6 will need to wait for the entry-level models: the new iMac and a new 14-inch MacBook Pro.

This makes sense from a strategy standpoint. The M5 Pro and M5 Max — already introduced in March — are extremely powerful chips, designed for the demands of AI and creative professionals. There is no sense in discarding them, and the OLED/touch screen does not require a chip change. It is a change of interface, not of performance.

The M6, the entry-level chip, represents the democratization of the ecosystem. Apple has a tradition of using newer chips in lower-cost products (like the M4 in the iPad Air and base iPad), and the M6 will continue that story: newer chip in entry-level products, mature chips in professional products.

iPad mini: the other protagonist

If the OLED MacBook Pro is the main event, the OLED iPad mini is the second strong name. With OLED screen, thinner bezels, the front camera repositioned for landscape use (instead of the current portrait standard), and, for the first time, water resistance, the iPad mini seems to be getting an update that goes beyond "sharper screen".

The front camera repositioning for landscape use is a detail that many will overlook, but it is significant. The iPad mini is often used in landscape for media consumption, reading and gaming — and the current camera position (at the top in portrait mode) leaves the person's face misaligned in video calls. Repositioning the camera to the side (in landscape mode) is an ergonomics change that shows Apple has listened to community feedback.

Water resistance, meanwhile, is something the iPad mini has never had. In 2026, with devices like the iPhone Duo and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 already featuring water resistance, the iPad mini is one of Apple's last "unprotected" products.

What to expect from the event

The "Pro and Tell" will not be a traditional event. It will be a press briefing session for creators, which means we will not have a traditional live presentation from an executive with slides — instead, we will have hands-on sessions for the press, which allows for deeper coverage than simply watching a keynote.

If the rumors are correct, the products will be:

- MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen (14" and 16"), with M5 Pro/M5 Max, Dynamic Island, camera hole - iPad mini with OLED, repositioned front camera, water resistance, improved FaceTime - iMac with M6 (minimal redesign, new chip) - Entry-level MacBook Pro with M6 (14"), perhaps the most affordable "MacBook Pro"

And, of course, Apple has confirmed nothing — which means it could surprise. But the rumors have been consistent for weeks, and confidence in the announcements is high.

The question that remains

The OLED touchscreen is a real change — and not just because Apple finally ceded. It is a sign that the personal computer industry is entering a new phase, in which the line between "computer" and "tablet" dissolves. When Mac accepts touch, it stops being a device that "only" displays content and becomes a direct-interaction device. The question that remains is: when Apple embraces the future, what will it abandon from the past?

Sources: Bloomberg, Engadget, 9to5Mac

✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing