Apple expected to unveil touchscreen MacBook Pro and iPad mini on October 27

A second October launch

Apple is planning a second product launch this month, on or around Tuesday, October 27, according to Bloomberg, which cites people with knowledge of the matter. That would follow the smart home event scheduled for October 13, which MacRumors says is expected to bring a new smart home hub, a revamped Apple TV 4K and a refreshed HomePod mini. Bloomberg says the late October launch will include an online video presentation and an in-person component for the press, the same format planned for October 13. The report describes the launch as geared toward creative professionals who work in video production, photo editing and music production, and likens it to Apple's October 2024 Mac launch, which gave select members of the press hands-on time in Los Angeles. Engadget notes that the date is not a 100-percent solid date for a product announcement, though it is more concrete than any earlier timing.

Touchscreen MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini

The centerpiece is expected to be new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with OLED touchscreen displays, a Dynamic Island for the first time and bodies lighter than the current models. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has since said he does not expect the new machines to be much thinner, and the current 14-inch model measures 15.5mm and weighs between 1.55kg and 1.62kg, while the 16-inch model is 16.8mm thick and weighs between 2.14kg and 2.15kg. Gurman addressed the question in a post on X:

Thinner, but not significantly so, while still offering a big weight reduction, sounds like exactly the right balance that should please most users.

The Verge reports that Apple also plans MacBook Pros that keep the current design but use the M6 chip introduced with the new Mac mini. Some rumors name the device MacBook Ultra, but Bloomberg suggests the 14-inch and 16-inch notebooks will sit in the MacBook Pro family, and 9to5Mac says the new machines are expected to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

The iPad mini and a disputed display rumor

The iPad mini, last refreshed in 2024, is expected to switch to an OLED display, move its front-facing camera to the landscape side of the tablet and gain a revamped speaker system. A rumor from the yeux1122 account on Naver claims the OLED model will keep a 60Hz refresh rate and lack ProMotion support, and that domestic production volume has already confirmed the 60Hz display. 9to5Mac says the account often repeats information from unnamed sources, and that no other reliable sources have corroborated the claim. The same account also says some overseas sources mention 120Hz for the new model.

Entry-level models and an open timing question

Bloomberg's sources also point to a 14-inch MacBook Pro and an iMac with the new M6 chip, which debuted with the Mac mini refresh. The entry-level MacBook Pro currently runs an M5 chip, and the iMac is still on an M4 chip. The timing is not settled, because GSM Arena reports that Gurman said a few days earlier that the 14-inch and 16-inch OLED MacBook Pro models would launch sometime in November, with M6 series chips and macOS 27.2 preinstalled.