Apple is planning to have a major overhaul on its MacBook Pro lineup, according to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The new laptop will sport a “thinner and lighter” design with design cues from Apple’s 12-inch MacBook, coupled with support for Touch ID, and a new OLED screen that will sit above the keyboard.
Kuo notes that the new MacBook Pros will be the “brightest spot for Apple’s 2016 rollouts” for both the 13 and 15-inch notebooks, coming in Q4 2016.
The new OLED screen above the keyboard will reportedly replace the function keys currently found in MacBooks today.
Similar to the 12-inch MacBook, Apple plans on killing the plastic hinge on the back of current MacBook Pros in favor of an all metal body. Additionally, the new MacBook Pro will also feature USB-C with support for Thunderbolt 3.
With the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros, Apple is also considering a 13-inch MacBook that is similar to the 12-inch MacBook now, with similar performance boosts.
Kuo believes that Apple will keep the MacBook Air as the entry-level Mac, while having MacBook as the mid-tier, and the MacBook Pro will remain the top-of-the-line model.
An earlier report claimed that Apple will be allowing Macs to be unlocked with the iPhone’s Touch ID sensor with OS X 10.12. However, Kuo says Apple will be integrating a physical Touch ID sensor on the new MacBook Pros.
