According to well known Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo, the new MacBook Pro will be thinner, have Touch ID, and an OLED
touch bar. Apple’s flagship laptop has largely remained the same since 2012. There have been performance improvements and processor bumps but nothing significant when it comes to design. The new MacBook Pro is rumored to be even thinner than before, and that is likely going to happen by incorporating the new hinge from the 2015 12″ MacBook
design. The new MacBook Pro will also likely have the new keyboard that was introduced on the 12″ MacBook. That keyboard may not be everyone’s cup of tea as the current keyboard has become a favorite among MacBook users.
Kuo also says the new MacBook Pro will incorporate an OLED touch bar in place of the function keys. This would be a huge departure for Apple
and something they’ve never really adopted due to their preference for minimal and functional design. Some PC laptops have long had touch bars in place instead of physical keys. What Apple’s touchbar will be used for besides function commands is not certain.
While long overlooked, the MacBook line is the brightest spot for Apple’s 2016 rollouts. This is particularly true of the two new MacBook Pro models, to be introduced in 4Q16, as they will have a thinner and lighter form factor, Touch ID, use OLED display touch bar (to replace physical function keys, located above the keyboard) and adopt USB- C / Thunderbolt 3.
The new MacBook Pro will also sport a thinner chassis and as we said, that will likely happen due to the new hinge design on the 12″ MacBook and the new keyboard design. But Apple also introduced a new layered battery
design in the 12″ MacBook and that could also come into play here. The Pro models are pushing much more power and it’s uncertain how much Apple has decreased the size of the logic board and components. If they manage to make the internals smaller while keeping Pro performance specs, it is very possible that that layered battery
design will be in the new MacBook Pro.
Kuo also states the new MacBook Pro line will adopt USB Type-C
as well as Thunderbolt 3. Goodbye MagSafe
charging — another favorite of Mac users and a lot of us will be sad to see this go. We can see the benefits of USB Type-C but MagSafe was so damn convenient and has saved many a MacBook from meeting the ground. Kuo also says the MacBook Air will be retired leaving the 12″ MacBook to fill that slot and the company will move forward with it’s 15″ Pro, 13″ Pro and 12″ MacBook.
There you have it, what do you think of these possible “improvements” to the MacBook Pro? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
[button link=”http://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/23/macbook-pro-2016-oled-display-touch-bar/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Mac Rumors[/button]
Last Updated on January 23, 2017.
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