Bloomberg has concurred with reports that the MacBook Pro is set for a major revamp. A thinner body, a touchscreen strip, Touch ID functionality and better graphics processors can all be expected, according to sources cited by Mark Gurman, a very reliable source of news about future Apple products.
That touchscreen strip will appear above the keyboard, replacing the standard row of physical function keys, and “present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application.” This panel “will theoretically display media playback controls when iTunes is open, while it could display editing commands like cut and paste during word processing tasks”, sources added.
The addition of this small, secondary display would also reportedly enable Apple to bring new buttons for Mac users through software updates rather than pricier hardware refreshes. As Apple issues Mac software updates for free, the new MacBook Pros could be somewhat future-proofed out of the box.
Apple will also pack USB-C connectivity into, says one source, an enclosure that is slightly thinner than the current MacBook Pro models but without the tapering of the MacBook Air and latest 12-inch MacBook. Releasing the new notebooks in gray, silver and gold colors has also been considered.
According to this report, the upcoming MacBook Pro models are unlikely to be unveiled at the iPhone 7 launch event, which it says is currently set for September 7. We shouldn’t have to wait too much longer than that, however; in May, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted a fourth quarter arrival.
