With Apple’s (AAPL) Mac computer sales down on a year-over-year basis for three consecutive quarters, the company is planning a long-overdue upgrade to its MacBook Pro line of notebook computers. USB Type-C, an OLED touchscreen that replaces the row of function keys, and a thinner design are all expected at this point, and a new report from Bloomberg’s well-sourced Mark Gurman reiterates all of those points while offering a couple of new details.
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The MacBook Pro likely won’t be unveiled at Apple’s rumored september 7 launch event for the iPhone 7, so our bet is on an early October launch, which will still give Apple plenty of time to tempt shoppers during the holidays. Apple’s bringing its biometric fingerprint technology over from the iPhone (and iPad) to the new model MacBook Pro laptops.
Apple has not confirmed the official release date of the upcoming MacBook Pro 2016 and people have been waiting with pins and needles for the launch of the new laptop.
This OLED strip will be touch-sensitive, and will present functions based on the current ask.
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The next time Apple has MacBook Pro news to share, it’ll be more than just a simple refresh. The laptop has reportedly been in testing since earlier this year. What shows up on this strip will change depending on what you’re using your laptop for, but could include various functions such as the escape key, volume control, or perhaps custom buttons for editing on an app such as iMovie. Nevertheless, the 2016 MacBook Pro would allegedly be equipped with a case with shallower curves and edges, resulting in a very sleek and thin device. The new graphics card is more than 20 percent thinner than its predecessor, AMD said earlier this year. According to Gurman, this would “allow users to log in more quickly and theoretically authenticate Apple Pay purchases”. Apple spokesman Bill Evans has declined to make any comment. They will also use SSDs, may come with the USB C port – the high-end Chromebook already has it – and will have Retina displays similar to what users get in the current MacBook Pros. Of course, we won’t know for sure until later this year, however with reports like this coming out as often as they are now, we can’t help but think that these leaks and rumors are pretty much legit.
