I hate to say this, but Apple is becoming more predictable with each product. Or, perhaps, the “Apple sleuths” are just getting sharper and more accurate with their rumors, guesses and leaks.
In any case, the new MacBook Pro 2016 is exactly as we envisioned it – Touch Bar above the keyboard, TouchID integrated into the power button, USB C ports instead of USB A and the 3.5 mm audio jack being retained unlike on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Obviously, the Touch Bar is the flagship feature on the new MacBook Pro, and it does bring in some exciting new possibilities. It can be customized by user, and several software makers are now pushing updates to have the Touch Bar support their apps, including Microsoft for its Office products and Skype, Sketch, Pixelmator and DaVinci Resolve.
Another really neat feature is the Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button. With that, you can unlock your Mac, switch users literally with your fingertip (well, not yours, the other person’s) and authenticate your Apple Pay transactions on Safari. The last one was even demo-ed at the event.
As for USB connectivity, the top-end 13″ and 15″ models have four USB Type C ports, but you’d better stock up on adaptors if you want to use external hard drives or connect your Mac to a 4K TV, for example. Not many gadgets today have a Type C input, so that’s one drawback.
The other is the price. The new MacBook Pros are quite a bit more expensive than their previous avatars. The 13″ and 15″ models with Touch Bar start at $1799/£1749 and $2399/£2349. There’s also a low-end 13″ MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar, and that retails at $1499/£1449.
You can order any of the three MacBook Pro 2016 models right now and have them shipped out to you in two to three weeks. there are three variants for the 13″ model – one without the Touch Bar and Touch ID and two with. For the 15″ there are two variants based on speed and memory.
Order Your New MacBook Pro online here at the Apple Store
LATEST UPDATE: We’ve just heard that shipping time has now gone up to 3-4 weeks instead of 2-3 weeks. That means people are ordering it like crazy. Better get yours now if you want it in time for Christmas.
All of these MacBook Pro models naturally come with the latest macOS Sierra, so you’ll have Siri to talk to when you’re bored. We’ve covered this before, but the most useful thing about Siri is that she’ll help you find documents, photos and other stuff in case you don’t know where you saved it. She can also access various applications and do pretty much anything with the system, like set screen brightness, control volume and so on.
Oh, I forgot to mention – we probably won’t be seeing any more MacBook Air models because these MacBook Pros are thinner, lighter, more powerful and have much better screen resolutions than anything we’ve seen from this product line. It looks like Apple is finally doing away with the Air line of MacBooks.
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