Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro could arrive within weeks
Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro could be announced within weeks. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the company is aiming for October or November, based on testing of the laptops with a macOS 27.2 beta due at the end of October. The new models would sit above the standard Pro line. That matters if you're about to buy a MacBook this autumn.
The machine
Gurman shared the details on the latest episode of his Power On podcast. Apple is said to be preparing 14-inch and 16-inch models with OLED screens that accept touch input. They would use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips and a thinner body. The display notch would give way to a Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped cutout Apple uses on the iPhone.
The name isn't settled. The laptops could ship as MacBook Pro or under a new label such as MacBook Ultra. Standard 14- and 16-inch Pros are expected to move to M7 Pro and M7 Max chips next year, which leaves the OLED models as a premium tier. Apple hasn't confirmed any of this.
The price
No official price exists. Macworld's speculative estimates run from £2,999 to £4,099 in the UK, and US pricing is widely expected to start around $3,000. Current Pro models cost roughly £2,000 to £2,500 in the UK. That would be a big jump for anyone upgrading.
Supply could also be a problem. Samsung is reportedly the only OLED panel supplier, with capacity of about 2.5 million units a year, per Memeburn. A single supplier gives Apple little room if demand is strong, so early stock may be limited. Laptop prices are already rising elsewhere, as Microsoft's Surface price hike showed last month.
Wait or buy?
Retailers are clearing current M5 stock. UK discounts of £500 to £900 appeared in September, and more cuts are likely if the launch slips. If your laptop is failing, a discounted M5 Pro is the safer buy. If you can wait a few weeks, the OLED model gives you a clearer picture of what the top tier costs.
Either way, check how much memory you need before paying a premium. Our guide to whether 32GB of RAM is worth it is a good place to start.
Apple has no event date yet. The macOS 27.2 release at the end of October is the next signal to watch.
