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Apple is expected to implement design changes to several Mac products that could include the MacBook Pros launching this year. A new report from display analysts supports this prediction, specifically the rumored removal of the Touch Bar.
The Display Supply Chain Consultants released its forecast on OLED panel revenues earlier this week that included a small update on the future of MacBook Pros with the Touch Bar. As of the first quarter of 2021, the analysts reported that Touch Bars accounted for an 18 percent unit share of mobile OLED panels, but it is expected to be surpassed by tablets once Apple starts the production of its rumored 10.9-inch iPad with AMOLED.
The same report mentioned that sources from the supply chain have also suggested the potential cancellation of Touch Bars on MacBook Pro. The analysts did not provide a specific timeline of when the expected change could be implemented, but this lines up with a report earlier this year that Apple has started testing versions of MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar.
Apple launched a 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar in 2016. Versions of the laptop that have this feature lose the physical function keys to give way for the customizable touchscreen strip above the keyboard. The Touch Bar can be customized so that users can place buttons for the apps they use more often. However, people later have negative opinions about the feature. The growing feedback about the touchscreen strip makes it likely for Apple to drop the Touch Bar, but whether it is going to happen this year is still unclear.
Bloomberg reported in May that redesigned MacBook Pros are lined up to be announced as early as this summer. But a more recent update from Mark Gurman suggested that Apple is not planning to make any product announcements in the coming weeks. This could mean that the redesigned MacBook Pro launch has been pushed back to later this year.
Aside from the potential removal of Touch Bar, Apple is also rumored to be planning to bring back the magnetic MagSafe charging port. New MacBook Pros are likely to launch with a new processor that could be the M1X chip with more processing and graphics cores as well as an improved Neural Engine.
Photo by Sumudu Mohottige on Unsplash
