Leak Suggests Upcoming MacBook Pro Will Feature Touch ID Capabilities

Back in May, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a near spotless track record when it comes to Apple product predictions, reported that Apple would be releasing an update to the MacBook Pro line. In a research note to investors, Kuo detailed some impressive new features that Apple would introduce with the new line, including an “OLED display Touch Bar” and Touch ID support.

While component leaks back in June worked to reinforce the existence of an OLED Touch Bar, we haven’t heard much regarding the addition of Touch ID support since Kuo’s research note. Just this morning, however, 9to5Mac published a report claiming that the new line of MacBook Pros will indeed feature Touch ID functionality. According to “a source who has provided reliable information in the past,” the new Touch ID sensor will be embedded into the power button, allowing a one-touch process to power the device on and authenticate the user without a password – similar to the Home button on the current generation of iPhones. The Touch ID sensor could theoretically also allow for quick and easy payments for apps or goods while shopping online via Apple Pay.

Alongside the Touch ID support, 9to5Mac‘s source also confirmed the previous rumors of the OLED Touch Bar. The bar will sit above the keyboard, replacing the current row of function keys. It will feature a row of customizable touch-screen buttons – users will likely be able to re-arrange the buttons or place shortcuts on the bar to suit their needs. Some rumors state that the Touch Bar will be contextual, as well, featuring different controls and displaying different information depending on which apps the user has open at the time.

In addition to Touch ID support and the Touch Bar, the new line of MacBook Pros will reportedly be “thinner and lighter”, of course, with upgraded internals and up to four USB-C ports. 9To5Mac claims that with the release of the new MacBook Pros, the MacBook Air would sit as Apple’s entry-level laptop, with a new 13-inch MacBook sitting in the middle tier, and the new MacBook Pro models representing the premium models for Apple’s laptop line. The new MacBook Pros are expected to release “sometime in the fourth quarter” of this year – possibly to be released alongside the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch 2 early this September.

Are you excited about the new possibilities coming to Apple’s forthcoming MacBook lineup?
Let us know in the comments below!

Featured Photo: Martin Hajek

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]