Just in time for the holidays! Apple unveiled its newest MacBook Pro laptop design on Thursday, October 27, and it includes an exciting new feature called Touch Bar to replace the function keys (a.k.a. the escape button and those volume and brightness controls). Watch the big announcement in the video above!
The Touch Bar is an interactive, customizable strip above the keyboard that offers a menu of buttons, which change depending on which app you’re using. For example, in Safari or web browsers, it will display buttons for your favorite websites. Once you’re typing, it will show you auto-complete suggestions that you can tap to finish the word.
The Touch Bar includes Touch ID technology, so you can log onto your computer with a thumb print like you can on the iPhone. It’s also integrated with Apple Pay to allow users to make a purchase with the tap of a finger. Another notable feature is that the touch track pad is twice as big as the track pad on previous models. As expected, this new MacBook is also the thinnest and lightest MacBook yet. The 15-inch MacBook Pro weighs just four pounds.
In another controversial move, similar to its removal of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, Apple has done away with the standard USB ports. Instead, the computer has ultrafast USB-C ports, so you may need to pick up an adapter to connect all your devices.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro will retail for $2,399, while the 13-inch version will sell for $1,799. Apple will also be offering another, cheaper version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar for $1,499. All models are available for pre-order today.
