Apple announced its 2016 MacBook Pro line at its “Hello Again” keynote event in Cupertino, California, introducing its Touch ID fingerprint authentication and an on-screen touch menu called Touch Bar to the laptop range.
TouchBar is a new iteration of settings on the MacBook Pro. Users can customize the strip to contain various functions, brightness or volume and to contain programs, such as iMovie, GarageBand or Terminal. With TouchBar, users can also access emojis from their laptop, similar to how they do on an iPhone.
With TouchID, users can now unlock their laptops with a fingerprint, as well as authenticate functions that typically require a password or Apple Pay for online shopping.
After introducing Siri integration for the MacBook in June during WWDC, Apple has now announced on the MacBook Pro, dedicated Siri button.
The 2016 MacBook Pro comes in two models. The 13-inch can be configured with a dual-core Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and up to 2133 MHz memory and 64MB eDRAM. Apple describes the laptop as 17 percent thinner, 23 percent less voluminous and nearly 3.5 pounds lighter than its predecessor.
The 15-inch can be configured with a Intel Core i7 sixth-generation quad-core processor 2133MHz memory, 2133MHz memory and up to 4GB VRAM Apple describes the laptop as 14 percent thinner, 20 percent less voluminous and half a pounds lighter than its predecessor.
Both models features USB Type-C ports and a Force Touch pad twice as large as previous models. They both support up to 10 hours of battery life.
Apple also announced the discontinuation of the MacBook Air line. The thin laptop will be replaced with a version of the MacBook Pro, which does not include a Touch Bar. This model also includes specs slightly less powerful than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple’s new MacBook line is now available for preorder. The base model MacBook Pro will ship starting Thursday, while the Touch Bar models will ship in two to three weeks.
The 13-inch MacBook without Touch Bar sells for $1499. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar sells for $1799. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar sells for $2399.
