If the latest report from 9to5Mac is to go by, then we are in for quite an upgrade on MacBook Pro series before the year 2016 runs out. MacBook Pro lineup has largely been on an incremental upgrade for the past three years or so, where the last major upgrade was the introduction of the Retina display. Since then, we have had the familiar narrative of processor upgrade and the machine being made thinner, but that is pretty much that. For those who like aesthetics and how things look, MacBook Pro has been pretty stagnant.
However, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities, Apple will be making radical changes to the lineup by introducing Touch ID as well as OLED display touch bar just above the keyboard. Apple will be taking cues from the current lineup of the 12 inch MacBook, which means that the new MacBook Pros will be thinner than the current lineup. According to the said report, the new upgrade will be available both in 13 and 15-inch models. The OLED screen on the top of the keyboard will be replacing the function keys and the hinges will be injection molded metallic ones rather than the plastic ones that currently come.
On the connectivity front, the new Pros will come with USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3. Not just the MacBook Pro, there is also news that Apple would be bringing in a new 13 inch MacBook, a bit like the current 12 inch MacBook. This would make the MacBook Air, the entry level option, while the MacBook will be the mid-range option and the MacBook Pro will remain the choice for those who want the flagship laptop. There have been reports already that Apple plans to showcase Siri integration into Macs at the upcoming WWDC, but it looks very unlikely that we will see the said new macBook Pros then. these are most likely to be out sometime in the quarter 4 of the year.
