On October 22, 2026, 9to5Mac reported that Apple will unveil a redesigned MacBook Pro next week, calling it the laptop’s first redesign in five years. Apple hasn’t said what it will announce, but it has set the date: on October 19, it sent media and analysts invitations to an October 28 product launch in Los Angeles that it’s calling “Pro and tell,” CNBC reported.
Here’s the short answer. A MacBook Pro redesign in 2026 looks likely, and the “Pro and tell” invite points to pro hardware, but Apple hasn’t confirmed any of the rumored changes. That includes OLED, a touchscreen, a lighter body, and losing the notch. As of October 24, 2026, we found no Apple newsroom post or product page for a redesigned MacBook Pro. This article separates what Apple has actually said from what’s only being reported, so you can decide whether to buy now or wait.
What Happened
The product details come from pre-announcement reporting, not from Apple. Here’s what 9to5Mac’s October 22 article, which quotes Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on the weight change, says is coming. Every item below is rumored and unconfirmed:
- A significantly lighter, slightly thinner chassis. 9to5Mac quotes Gurman saying the new models are “significantly lighter.” No measurements or weight figures have been published.
- An OLED display, replacing the current Liquid Retina XDR panel. Apple rates today’s MacBook Pro display at 1600 nits peak HDR brightness with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio; no specs exist yet for the rumored OLED panel.
- Touchscreen support, as a secondary option alongside the keyboard and trackpad, according to 9to5Mac. Apple hasn’t documented touch input for any current Mac.
- No more display notch. It would be replaced by a hole-punch camera cutout, possibly paired with a software element similar to the iPhone’s Dynamic Island (the pill-shaped area at the top of recent iPhones that shows alerts and live activities).
- Touch optimizations in macOS Golden Gate. The Golden Gate name itself is real: it’s macOS 27, which Apple documents on its macOS 27 upgrade page. The touch optimizations 9to5Mac describes are not something Apple has announced.
9to5Mac also says rumors point to the redesign keeping the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as current models. That’s reporting, not an Apple spec.
When exactly will Apple unveil it?
Apple has set an October 28 event in Los Angeles, according to CNBC, which saw the invitation Apple sent on October 19. Apple hasn’t said what it will show, and it hasn’t confirmed a product, price, or chip for any redesigned model. Some posts on X have circulated prices and ship dates, but those claims don’t come from Apple, and we’re not treating them as fact.
About that “five years” claim
The five-year framing belongs to 9to5Mac. It refers to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro design that introduced the notch, MagSafe, and the mini-LED display in 2021. Apple’s October 2021 announcement isn’t in our verified source set, so take the exact timeline as the report’s characterization. What we can confirm is that Apple’s own newsroom shows years of chip updates inside the current design family, covered below.
Who This Affects
On macOS: current and would-be MacBook Pro owners
If you’re shopping for a MacBook Pro right now, this matters most to you. Apple’s newest confirmed models are the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max, which became available on March 11, 2026, per Apple’s March 11 newsroom update. If Apple does show a redesign on October 28, a machine you buy today could look a generation behind soon after.
It also matters for software. Apple’s current Mac operating system is macOS 27 Golden Gate, which runs on any Mac with Apple silicon. It follows macOS Tahoe 26, announced in June 2025. Apple hasn’t described any touch features for macOS.
For Android and Windows switchers
If you’re coming from a Windows laptop or an Android/Chrome OS device, you may be used to a touchscreen or an OLED display. A touchscreen MacBook Pro would remove one difference some switchers notice. But until Apple confirms it, assume today’s Macs don’t support touch input — Apple hasn’t documented that feature for current models. If touch is a must-have, wait for the official announcement.
How It Stacks Up
Here’s the honest part. No benchmark, battery-life, weight, or price comparison exists yet. That’s true for the rumored redesign against the current M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro, and against Windows or Android competitors. Nobody outside Apple has tested this laptop, and Apple hasn’t published specs.
What we can compare is confirmed facts against reported claims:
| Feature | Current MacBook Pro (confirmed by Apple) | Rumored redesign (9to5Mac, unconfirmed) |
|---|---|---|
| Latest chips | M5 Pro and M5 Max, available since March 11, 2026 (Apple); M5 on the 14-inch (Apple, October 15, 2025) | Rumored M5 Pro/M5 Max carryover (9to5Mac); chips and performance unconfirmed |
| Display | Liquid Retina XDR, 1600 nits peak HDR, 1,000,000:1 contrast (Apple) | OLED |
| Touch input | Not documented by Apple | Touchscreen support |
| Camera housing | Notch | Hole-punch cutout, possible Dynamic Island-style element |
| Body | Current 14-inch/16-inch design | Significantly lighter, slightly thinner (reported, no figures given) |
| Starting price | Set by Apple at launch for the 14-inch M5 model (Apple, October 15, 2025) | Unknown |
| Storage (M5 Pro/M5 Max) | Starts at 1TB (M5 Pro) or 2TB (M5 Max), per Apple | Unknown |
| Colors (M5 Pro/M5 Max) | Space black and silver | Unknown |
Apple says the M5 Pro and M5 Max deliver up to 4x the AI performance of the previous generation and up to 8x the AI performance of M1 models, based on Apple’s own footnoted testing. Those are Apple’s own marketing claims for the current chips, not independent benchmarks, and they don’t tell us anything about the unreleased redesign.
Against Windows and Android
On paper, the rumored features (OLED, touch, a camera cutout instead of a notch) would be firsts for the MacBook Pro, not for laptops in general. Whether Apple does them better than existing touchscreen laptops is impossible to say without specs and reviews, and there’s no verified spec sheet to compare the rumored MacBook Pro against any Windows or Chromebook model.
A brief MacBook Pro timeline from Apple’s own newsroom
Here’s what Apple’s newsroom confirms about recent MacBook Pro milestones:
- May 2020: Apple updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Magic Keyboard, double the storage, and faster performance.
- November 2020: The 13-inch MacBook Pro moved to Apple’s own M1 chip.
- June 2022: The 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 opened for orders starting Friday, June 17.
- October 2023: Apple unveiled 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 family of chips.
- October 15, 2025: Apple unveiled a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip.
- March 11, 2026: The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max became available.
The pattern is clear: since 2023, Apple has updated the chips inside the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro without a major outside change. That’s why a real redesign would be a big deal. (Sources checked October 24, 2026.)
The Reaction
Reaction is still forming, and the evidence we can point to is thin. Under 9to5Mac’s report, the most-liked reader comment questioned the priorities, arguing that pro users might prefer more battery life or better cooling to a lighter design. We found no matching Hacker News discussion. One older r/macbook thread from September 2, 2026 questioned whether the redesign would happen at all. Neither is a read on broad sentiment.
That caution is worth taking seriously. A touchscreen on a Mac only helps if macOS is built for it, and Apple hasn’t said anything about touch on the Mac yet.
What to Do Next
The one thing worth doing today: check which Mac you already have. It tells you how much you’d actually gain from any new model.
On your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, then choose About This Mac. You’ll see your model name and chip, and on most Macs the model year or size as well.
- If you have an M5, M5 Pro, or M5 Max MacBook Pro, you already own Apple’s newest confirmed chips. Reports so far focus on the screen and body, not raw speed, though Apple could announce chip changes too. There’s no rush.
- If you’re on an older Intel or early Apple silicon Mac, wait for Apple’s October 28 event before buying. Even if you don’t want the new design, the current models may get cheaper or easier to find on sale after a launch.
If you’re waiting and your current Mac is feeling cramped, a USB-C hub or an external SSD can buy you some breathing room for not much money. Desk-based users might consider a Thunderbolt dock that will work with whatever MacBook you buy next.
Our Take
Verdict: If the reports hold up, these would be firsts for the Mac rather than for laptops, and it’s too early to say whether Apple will do them better. Apple’s chance to win is in how well macOS handles touch, such as how window controls, gestures, and existing apps behave under a finger, and that’s the part we know the least about. Golden Gate is macOS 27’s official name, but the touch features reported for it are unconfirmed.
Should you upgrade? Not yet. If you own a current MacBook Pro, wait for three things: what Apple announces on October 28, full specs and pricing, and independent reviews. If you need a laptop this week, the current MacBook Pro lineup, with M5, M5 Pro, or M5 Max, has confirmed specs, pricing, and availability. Just know a new design may be announced days after you buy.
Wrapping Up
Right now, the MacBook Pro redesign is a strong rumor attached to an official Apple event: the “Pro and tell” date and branding are Apple’s, but the rumored changes aren’t confirmed. OLED, touch, a lighter body, and a notch-free screen all sound great, but every one of them comes from reporting, chiefly 9to5Mac and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Our honest advice: hold your wallet until Apple shows the details on October 28 and reviewers get their hands on it.
| Step | Action | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check your model via Apple menu > About This Mac | Current Mac owners |
| 2 | Watch Apple’s October 28 event for the official specs | Everyone considering a MacBook Pro |
| 3 | Read independent reviews before buying | Upgraders and Windows/Android switchers |
| 4 | Buy a current M5-family MacBook Pro only if you need a Mac now | Buyers who can’t wait |