MacBook Pro: Image of Apple's rumored 16-inch laptop reveals interesting design clues
The purported image shows the Touch Bar and Touch ID separated on the laptop.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
The new MacBook Pro could have an actual escape button.
Update, Nov. 13, 2019: Apple has introduced a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with a larger screen and improved keyboard. It completely replaces the previous 15-inch model.
Rumors have been swirling around Apple's upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro, and this week a new image of the laptop's design was discovered that gives the Internet even more to chatter about. The new image appeared in the release build of MacOS Catalina 10.15.1, according to a report by 9to5Mac. One notable takeaway from the surfaced image: a Touch ID key separate from the Touch Bar screen. It means the laptop could have a physical escape key, according to the report.
Apple had unveiled a slight update to its MacBook Pro lineup during WWDC in July. Its 13- and 15-inch computers feature Intel's faster eighth- and ninth-gen Core processors, including an eight-core version. It also announced a redesigned keyboard for the MacBook Pro. Soon after that, however, rumors began floating around that Apple is working on variations of the laptop.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was also reported in August that Apple would begin production on the new Pro model in September and finish in November, and could result in the 15.4-inch laptop being canned. The 16-inch MacBook Pro will run on Intel's Coffee Lake H Refresh processor, Forbes said at the time.
Other rumors swirling about the new MacBook Pro include a keyboard redesign this year, switching out the old butterfly keyboard mechanism for a scissor mechanism.
Apple had rolled out its butterfly switch design starting with its computer revamp in 2015 in an effort to make the laptops lighter and thinner, but customers complained about sticky keys, as well as letters typing in duplicate or not at all.
