APPLE is once again preparing to launch a new MacBook Pro later this year, with a dramatic new design, touchscreen OLED panel and in-built Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a report has claimed.
The last major redesign of the MacBook Pro range was back in June 2012, when Apple unveiled a trim new model with a pixel-packed Retina display.
Four years later, it appears Apple has some fresh ideas for its powerful portable computer.
The US technology firm is expected to launch a redesigned MacBook Pro with a thinner, lighter all-aluminium chassis reminiscent of the Apple MacBook.
The new Pros are expected to drop the MagSafe charger, replacing it with four USB Type-C ports, with embedded support for Thunderbolt 3.
A leaked image of the aluminium base of a laptop, that appeared on Cult of Mac and is believed to be the next-generation MacBook Pro, confirms this report.
It also expected to replace the traditional function keys with a small OLED touchscreen, that is also capable of scanning your fingerprint, like the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone and iPad.
The sensor is believed to be built into the power button, so you can start the device and verify your identity with one tap.
Touch ID would allow you to log into websites and services without a password.
It could also be used to authenticate payments via Apple Pay, which is coming to the Mac with the next operating system update, dubbed MacOS Sierra.
Code in MacOS Sierra references both the OLED bar and Touch ID.
The OLED touchscreen is expected to adapt and change, surfacing different buttons based on what you are doing on the computer.
For example, the touchscreen might let you quickly scrub through video with the swipe of a finger if you're watching a movie in iTunes.
Laptop users could potentially add their own custom shortcuts and frequently-used apps to the screen.
Apple filed a patent back in September 2015, which was made public earlier in April, that described how a "zero travel" glass trackpad or touch surface could replace a keyboard.
In the patent, the iPhone manufacturer proposes a "force-sensitive input structure for an electronic device," that gives you feedback when you press the surface.
Apple's Force Touch trackpad, which is already available on the latest MacBook Pro models, does not physically move, but uses haptic feedback to micmic a depression as you push to click.
Reliable Apple pundit Mark Gurman previously confirmed his sources have also heard about the new MacBooks, tweeting: "Source confirms Apple prepping new MacBook Pro with 2nd display for functions above the keyboard, Touch ID/Apple Pay."
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