The upcoming MacBook Pro 2016 models could be seen sporting a new power button hiding a fingerprint sensor underneath it that would serve the dual purpose of waking up the device as well as authenticating the user with just a single touch, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported.
This would be much in line with the way the home button on the iPhone currently functions, thereby saving users from having to go through a separate process for authentication. As of now, the power button is already included within the same row holding the function keys.
MacBook Pro 2016 to come with OLED touch bar
Kuo has earlier further predicted the new MacBook Pro 2016 devices will come with an OLED ‘touch bar’ that would be sitting above the keyboard. A subsequent leak of the keyboard chassis had also supported the claim with a separate slot to hold the OLED bar clearly visible.
Meanwhile, designer Martin Hajek has also come up with a few design renders that provide a clear depiction of what the OLED panel might look like in reality. While details are missing at the moment, rumors mongers believe the OLED panel would be contextual, which means the panel would display different controls based on the apps that are open on the MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro 2016 Specs: Kaby Lake processor
These apart, the new MacBook Pro 2016 is also expected to be even thinner compared to the present version owing to the incorporation of metal injection mold made hinges that would help shave off a few millimeters. Then there is going to be a USB Type-C port as well with inbuilt support for Thunderbolt 3 while thinner speaker slots would be accommodated along the sides of the keyboard.
Thereafter, a new trackpad that responds to Apple Pencil too is being speculated, as is integrated 4G cellular support as a standard feature. A patent filing reported in May 2016 does point to Apple contemplating 4G cellular connectivity as an integral part of the future range of MacBook Pro devices.
So far as the processor is concerned, Apple seems all set to jump onto the Skylake bandwagon finally with the new MacBook Pro devices. Currently, none from Apple come with the latest Intel Skylake chips, which make it highly likely for those to feature in the new MacBook Pros, preferably the latest sixth-gen Skylake chips.
Intel’s new Kaby Lake processors too have begun shipping though analysts believe an initial lot of MacBook Pro expected to be launched this fall will only have SkyLake chips integrated into them. Kaby Lake enabled MacBook Pros aren’t expected before end 2016 or early next.
A subsequent increase in battery life too is in the cards. The current range of MacBook Pro, the 13-inch version offer 10 hours of battery life while the 15-inch version comes with 8 hours’ worth of juice. These apart, the MacBook Pro are expected to retain the same basic layout.
