Was It A Deliberate Move? Apple Leaks New MacBook Pro Images

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Apple released macOS Sierra 10.12.1 on Monday, just a day before announcing disappointing financial results. The latest version of macOS Sierra includes hidden Apple Pay images that depict the upcoming MacBook Pro with OLED touch panel that will be unveiled on Oct.27. The timing and source of the leak raise questions whether the image was leaked deliberately.

Apple spoils its own surprise launch

Apple has never leaked such a revealing image of its unannounced products in years. The last time it did so was in 2003 when the company posted PowerMac G5 on its website even before it was announced. By revealing the image of the new MacBook Pro, Apple has spoiled its own surprise launch. The images give us a detailed look at the redesigned MacBook Pro. The leak was first reported by MacRumors.

The images show an OLED touch panel located on top of the keyboard. It replaces the escape and function keys and the power button on the current line of MacBook Pros. Since the touch panel is seen being used with Apple Pay, it’s safe to assume that it supports Touch ID. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor can be seen at the right side of the bar. It’s not part of the touch panel as there is a subtle differentiation between the two.

How to see the images on your own Mac

It looks like the fingerprint sensor is built into a power button located next to the OLED panel. The touch panel is rumored to be called the “Magic Toolbar.” It will show context-based buttons depending on what’s on the screen. However, the touch bar will also perform the same tasks as the function keys.

If you want to see the images of the new MacBook Pro on your own Mac, update to macOS Sierra 10.12.1 and go to /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/PasskitUI.framework/Versions/A/Resources in the terminal application.

New MacBook Pro to be slimmer and lighter

Apple hasn’t upgraded the MacBook Pro in a long time. Except for the touch bar, the new Pro looks similar to the current models in terms of design. The orientation of the device in the images makes it difficult to determine its thickness. The new MacBook Pro is rumored to be slimmer and lighter than its predecessors. The upcoming Mac is also rumored to feature USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 3, and flatter keys similar to the keys of the Retina MacBook.

Apple will unveil the new MacBook Pro and other products at a special event at its Cupertino campus on October 27 at 10 a.m. Russian trademark filings suggested that there will be three MacBooks. Two of them are 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros, while the third one is said to be an ultrathin 13-inch sibling of the 12-inch MacBook. Rumors indicate that Apple would discontinue the 11-inch MacBook Air. No major updates are expected for the Mac Pro.

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