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Apple Said to Plan October Rollout of Touchscreen MacBook Pro, New Apple TV 4K and HomePad

9to5Mac reports Apple is preparing an October launch for a redesigned touchscreen MacBook Pro, a new Apple TV 4K and a smart home display called the HomePad. Apple has not confirmed any of the three products.

According to 9to5Mac, the next MacBook Pro, which may carry the MacBook Ultra name, is expected in October with a new industrial design, the first overhaul of the model in five years. Alongside touch input, the machine is rumored to have an OLED display, a Dynamic Island and possibly a C2 cellular modem option. Apple has kept touchscreens off the Mac far longer than they have been standard elsewhere, and the report describes the change as the end of that holdout.

The Apple TV 4K is the most overdue of the three updates. Apple's current model, the third-generation Apple TV 4K, was introduced in 2022, the longest gap between Apple TV hardware releases. Rumors point to a new version in October built around an A19 or A19 Pro chip with support for Siri AI. 9to5Mac noted that Apple raised prices this summer on most of its products, including the Apple TV, pushing the four-year-old model to $199 from the $129 it cost at launch, and said it hopes the next version does not go higher.

The HomePad has circulated in rumors for nearly as long as the HomePod has existed, with attention increasing in 2024 after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman published an in-depth report on the device. It is described as a smart display with a built-in speaker that would lead Apple's renewed push into home products. The device would run a new operating system drawing on parts of iOS, tvOS and watchOS, including a StandBy-like mode, with Siri AI expected to be central. A camera, customizable widgets and built-in Apple apps such as Photos, Notes, Music and Calendar are also reported features.

Apple has not confirmed any of the three products, and the October timing and specifications come from rumors and reporting rather than company announcements. 9to5Mac closed its report by asking readers which of the upcoming products they are most interested in.

Editor's Summary

Apple is reported to be preparing an October launch for a redesigned touchscreen MacBook Pro, a new Apple TV 4K and a smart home display called the HomePad, none of which the company has confirmed. The details trace back to 9to5Mac's report and earlier rumors, with the MacBook Pro described as the first design overhaul in five years and the Apple TV 4K as the longest-delayed update of the three. If the timing holds, the month would extend a heavy Apple launch period that began in September.