Apple may have just refreshed its home lineup with HomeView, a new Apple TV, and a new HomePod mini, but the company is not finished with its fall hardware season. A second product unveiling is scheduled for next week, with the Pro and tell event set for October 28. The focus is expected to shift to the Mac and iPad, where Apple is rumored to have one of its busiest hardware updates in recent memory: a redesigned high-end MacBook Pro, a long-awaited OLED iPad mini, an M6 iMac, and a new 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip.

The timing is notable. Apple has often used October events to finish the year's product rollouts, especially when the company wants to separate home devices, wearables, and accessories from its higher-profile computer announcements. By refreshing the home lineup first and then holding a separate event for Macs and iPads, Apple can give each product family its own moment while keeping attention on the features that matter most to professional and creative users.

Key facts at a glance

• Apple's Pro and tell event is scheduled for October 28.
• A redesigned high-end MacBook Pro is expected with OLED, touchscreen support, a hole-punch camera, Dynamic Island, and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips.
• The iPad mini is rumored to gain an OLED display, the A20 Pro chip, a landscape-oriented front camera, improved water resistance, and stronger speakers.
• A new iMac with the M6 chip is expected, along with a refreshed color palette.
• Apple is also rumored to launch a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip as an entry-level update.
• The new MacBook Pro redesign is expected to sit above the current lineup rather than replace every existing model.

MacBook Pro redesign with OLED, touchscreen, and Dynamic Island

The headline product at the event is expected to be a redesigned MacBook Pro. Rumors point to an industrial design that is much lighter and slightly thinner than the current 14-inch and 16-inch models, while still targeting the high-end professional market. That combination would be significant because Apple has spent the past several years making its pro laptops thicker and heavier in exchange for more ports, larger batteries, and better cooling. A lighter and thinner design would suggest that Apple has found new efficiencies in its chip architecture, display technology, or internal layout.

The most talked-about change is the display. The new MacBook Pro is rumored to adopt OLED technology, which would bring deeper blacks, higher contrast, and more precise color reproduction than the mini-LED displays used on current high-end models. OLED also enables more flexible display designs, which helps explain another long-rumored feature: touchscreen support. A touch-enabled MacBook Pro would mark a major philosophical shift for Apple, which has long argued that the Mac is best controlled with a trackpad and keyboard while the iPad handles touch. If Apple does bring touch to the Mac, it will likely be positioned as a premium capability rather than a replacement for existing input methods.

Another expected change is the removal of the notch in favor of a hole-punch camera cutout and Dynamic Island. The notch has been a polarizing part of the MacBook Pro design since 2021, and a smaller camera cutout would free up more usable screen area. Dynamic Island could bring a software-driven layer of status indicators, media controls, or system alerts around the camera, similar to how the feature works on the iPhone. On a Mac, that could be especially useful for showing background tasks, call status, or battery information without taking over the menu bar.

Inside, the new model is expected to use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Those processors would continue Apple's strategy of separating the entry-level MacBook Pro from the high-end models through chip options, memory bandwidth, and GPU performance. The redesigned machine is not expected to replace the current MacBook Pro lineup outright. Instead, it is rumored to debut as a new, higher-end option above the existing models. Early speculation suggested the name MacBook Ultra, but the event tagline uses Pro, making a MacBook Pro branding more likely.

Why the redesign matters

A lighter, thinner, OLED-equipped MacBook Pro with touch input would compete directly with premium Windows laptops that have pushed OLED displays, touchscreens, and thin chassis designs for years. Apple has often waited until it can integrate new technology without compromising battery life or performance, so the rumored design would signal that the company believes OLED and touch are ready for its professional laptop line. The move could also blur the line between the MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro, especially as both devices gain more powerful chips and advanced displays.

iPad mini with A20 Pro, OLED, and a redesigned camera setup

The iPad mini is also expected to receive a substantial update. The biggest change is rumored to be an OLED display, which would make the iPad mini the only iPad besides the iPad Pro to offer OLED technology. That would be a meaningful upgrade for a device that is often used for reading, watching video, gaming, and note-taking. OLED's per-pixel lighting can produce deeper blacks and better contrast, and it can also help reduce power consumption when displaying dark content.

Apple is reportedly planning to bring the A20 Pro chip from the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo to the iPad mini. That would be an unusually powerful chip for a small tablet, and it would make the iPad mini more capable for demanding apps, multitasking, and mobile gaming. The current iPad mini has always occupied a strange spot in the lineup: it is small enough to be highly portable, but Apple has sometimes held it back with older chips or fewer pro features. An A20 Pro would narrow the gap between the mini and the larger iPad models.

The front-facing camera is also expected to move to a landscape-oriented position. That change would prioritize video calls, online meetings, and landscape use, which is how many people hold the iPad mini when typing with a keyboard or watching video. The current portrait-oriented camera can make video calls awkward when the tablet is used in landscape. Improved water resistance and a more powerful speaker system are also on the rumored list, suggesting Apple wants the iPad mini to feel more durable and more capable as a media device.

iMac with M6 chip and refreshed colors

The iMac is still running on the M4 chip, but a new M6 model is rumored to debut next week. Apple is not expected to make major design changes to the all-in-one desktop. Instead, the M6 chip will be the central upgrade. Like the M6 Mac mini that is currently on sale, the new iMac is expected to gain a 12-core CPU, a 12-core GPU, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. That combination would improve general performance, graphics, and on-device AI processing.

The iMac has always been as much about style as it is about computing, and Apple is also expected to refresh the color options. A new slate of finishes would give buyers more ways to match the desktop to a room or workspace. The iMac's colorful design has been one of its defining features since the M1 era, and a color refresh is a low-cost way for Apple to make the product feel new without changing its overall shape.

For many users, the iMac remains the simplest entry into the Mac ecosystem: a screen, computer, speakers, and camera in one package. The M6 update would keep that formula intact while making the desktop more competitive for creative work, light gaming, and productivity. Apple has not yet shared pricing, but the M6 iMac is likely to appeal to people who want a clean all-in-one setup rather than a separate monitor and desktop.

14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip

In addition to the redesigned high-end MacBook Pro, Apple is expected to launch a new entry-level MacBook Pro with the M6 chip. This model is rumored to be available only in a 14-inch size. It would follow the same pattern as the current entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, which received an M5 chip update last fall. The design and display technology are expected to remain the same, with the M6 chip providing the main performance boost.

That means buyers who want the familiar MacBook Pro design, ports, and display will still have a more affordable option alongside the new premium model. The M6 chip could also bring better battery life thanks to improved efficiency. For students, office workers, and general users, this model may be the most practical choice in the lineup, especially if the redesigned OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro commands a much higher price.

The two-track MacBook Pro strategy would let Apple serve two different audiences at once. The entry-level M6 model would replace the current base 14-inch Pro with a straightforward speed bump, while the redesigned model would target professionals who want the latest display and input technology. That approach mirrors how Apple has handled other product lines, offering a standard model and a more advanced model under the same broad family name.

Event timing and lineup strategy

Apple's decision to hold a separate event after refreshing the home lineup suggests the company wants to give its Mac and iPad updates a clear stage. The fall calendar is crowded with product launches, and splitting announcements can help Apple avoid overshadowing lower-profile devices with major computer news. It also gives the company more flexibility to focus on different audiences at different times.

The event tagline, Pro and tell, strongly hints that professional products will be the centerpiece. That fits the expected MacBook Pro redesign and the M6 iMac. The iPad mini update would add a more portable option for users who want a smaller tablet, while the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro would keep the lineup accessible. Together, the rumored products would cover a wide range of price points and use cases, from casual media consumption to high-end creative work.

Apple has not confirmed any of the product details, and the company is expected to reveal final specifications, pricing, and availability at the event. Still, the rumor list is detailed enough to suggest that next week's announcement could be one of the most important Mac and iPad updates in years. The combination of OLED displays, new chips, and a possible touchscreen MacBook Pro would give Apple plenty to discuss on October 28.

Source: 9to5Mac News