A new report today says new MacBook Pro models, which could debut this fall, will boast a Touch ID power button, in addition to the previously-teased touch-sensitive OLED function keys.
The KGI note which first reported the OLED function key display also suggested that the new MacBook Pros would offer ‘Touch ID support,’ but did not contain any specifics. Incorporating it into the power button would clearly make sense, allowing the same one-touch process to power-on and authenticate as is possible with the Home button on current iPhones. Resources spotted in macOS Sierra also hint at Touch ID on future Macs.
9to5Mac indicates their information comes from a source who has provided them with reliable information in the past. Previous reports have indicated a fourth quarter launch for a new MacBook Pro lineup, along with a possible shifting of the MacBook lineup that would see the MacBook Air become Apple’s new entry-level laptop, a new 13-inch MacBook as the next step up, and two new MacBook Pro models coming in as the top of the line offerings.
Other rumors concerning new MacBook Pros involve USB-C ports with support for Thunderbolt 3. A previously leaked set of images showed a chassis allegedly destined for the new MBPros that offered a place for an OLED touch panel, four USB-C ports, with no MagSafe Connector.
For now, of course, all of this is simply rumors, so the standard “take it with a grain of your favorite salt-free seasoning” warning applies.
