Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pros could arrive in OctoberBloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pros could arrive in October

Apple will introduce 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with OLED displays and touchscreens as early as October 2026, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on the first episode of his Power On podcast on 1 October.

MacRumors, AppleInsider and 9to5Mac all reported the claim on 1 October. Gurman's words, as relayed by 9to5Mac: "Apple, I believe, will introduce its first touchscreen MacBook Pro this fall, as early as October. It could slip to November, but as early as October." Bloomberg's podcast is paywalled, so this is one source relayed through three outlets, none of which adds independent sourcing. Apple has announced nothing and has not commented. This is a leak at the reported grade.

MacRumors and AppleInsider describe 14-inch and 16-inch models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, an OLED display replacing the current Liquid Retina XDR panel, a Dynamic Island replacing the existing notch, and a thinner chassis. The machines are currently being tested on macOS 27.2, a beta already distributed to developers, according to 9to5Mac. Apple typically releases new Macs in the late October or early November window, which aligns with the reporting.

How does this fit with the M6 MacBook Pro?

These are distinct machines from the entry M6 MacBook Pro. In our M6 Mac schedule piece earlier today, we reported a Bloomberg July account describing an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max, being tested on macOS 27.1, aimed at between the end of 2026 and early 2027. The new detail is Gurman naming October specifically on his podcast. The M6 entry MacBook Pro, a cheaper 14-inch machine with the base M6 chip, is also expected before the end of 2026 and would sit below these OLED models in the line-up.

MacRumors raises a question neither it nor any source settles: whether Apple keeps the MacBook Pro name or introduces a new one such as MacBook Ultra. No price is given. The OLED display raised the iPad Pro's price significantly in 2024, and AppleInsider notes that the upgrade did not drive purchases as quickly as expected, which is context rather than a forecast for laptops.

One unverified detail is in circulation. MacRumors mentions reports of a built-in cellular modem based on the C1X or C2 chip in some configurations. No second source is given for that claim, and it is not used in this article.

What does a touchscreen Mac mean for developers?

Apple has resisted touchscreens on Macs for years, citing ergonomic research: reaching up to touch a vertical display is tiring over time. If these machines ship as described, that reasoning has been retired. The practical question for developers is whether macOS 27.2 adds touch input handling as a distinct event type or maps touches to existing mouse events. Neither Apple nor any source has addressed this. Dynamic Island guidance for Mac has also not been published, though if the launch is October, that documentation is presumably ready.

Our take

APPDOOK's reading is that October is possible and November is more likely. Three Apple hardware launches in four weeks - the home hub line on 13 October, the iPhone Duo on 23 October, and potentially new MacBook Pros in the same period - would be unusually dense for Apple, which tends to give each product its own news cycle. Gurman himself allowed for November and did not rule out early 2027. The Bloomberg July report, which gave a range of end of 2026 to early 2027, remains the more cautious baseline.

For buyers, the advice is clear. Anyone considering an M5 Pro or M5 Max MacBook Pro now is looking at a machine whose reported replacement has a window measured in weeks. The reported changes - OLED, touchscreen, Dynamic Island, thinner design - are the kind of first-generation jump worth a short wait. If the launch slips to 2027, those same buyers will have had months with a capable machine and lost little by waiting. Either way, the current models do not stop working when new ones arrive.