Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

New reports confirm the next MacBook Pro to drop the controversial Touch Bar

Dua Rashid
By

According to multiple reports, Apple might ditch its famous Touch Bar in its upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro.

Many sources claim that Apple might release its next-generation MacBook Pro in the summer of 2021. Out of the multiple changes that the device is going to bring, one of them includes the absence of a Touch Bar.

Touch Bar showing digital function keys on the MacBook Pro.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The DSCC (Display Supply Chain Consultants) analysis report said the following about the future of the controversial feature: “Touch Bars continue to be the No. 3 application with an 18% unit share and 1.2% revenue share in Q1’21. We expect Touch Bars to be exceeded by tablets when Apple starts the adoption of the 10.9-inch AMOLED iPad. Further, our sources suggest that Apple may cancel the Touch Bar in the future.”

Recommended Videos

Sources such as Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg, too, attested the claim. Apparently, the Touch Bar will be completely removed and replaced by a row of physical function keys. The 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro that was released last year in the fall did leverage the Touch Bar. The company introduced the feature in 2016. However, it wasn’t ever received well. People liked the feel of having physical keys to press. They also found it much more convenient to press on functions without having to look down. It has been five years since the feature was unveiled, and it appears Apple has finally listened to the complaints.

Related

According to DSSC, the Touch Bar is the third largest use of OLED displays at the moment. Rumors also suggest that the company might switch to OLED displays for iPads in the future.

The new MacBook Pro will also host the upgraded silicon processor and a retouched design. The new design will feature square sides in the top and bottom halves of the device along with the flat edge design trend that we saw in the 2018 iPad Pro and in the iPhone 12 series. Apple is also expected to add more IO ports on the side and bring back MagSafe charging. Kuo reports that a MagSafe power connector is returning, but does not mention if this means the ability to charge on the left or right will be lost.

Apple will hopefully be satisfying the demands of all of those who miss the 2015 MacBook Pro with the return of physical function keys.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dua Rashid
Dua Rashid
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Dua is a media studies graduate student at The New School. She has been hooked on technology since she was a kid and used to…
Here’s more confirmation that 2024 will be a slow year for Macs
3nm iphone ipad processors apple silicon imgae

There's some extra reason to believe that Apple could already be working on the M4 chip, but it may not be coming for a while. New research from Canalys, a market analytics firm, shows that the next entry in the Apple Silicon family could come in the first part of 2025 to target offerings from Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD.

Lining up with previous reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Canalys is estimating that Apple could launch the M4 chip in the first quarter of 2025. It's a vague time frame, but it makes a lot of sense. Gurman previously said that Apple already has the M4 MacBook Pro in "formal development." Although this timing lines up with previous Apple Silicon chip refresh cycles, it would leave 2024 looking fairly light in terms of new Mac releases. Apple usually has some kind of October or November release focused on new Macs, but without new chips to launch, that might not happen this year.

Read more
Which color MacBook should you buy? Here’s how to pick
The MacBook Air on a table in front of a window.

Apple’s MacBook laptops come in a range of colors, and selecting which is right for you can be a tricky business. Sure, it’s perhaps not as important as deciding which chip to pick or how much memory you should buy, but it’s still a vital part of the equation. After all, you’re going to see that color every time you reach for your MacBook. You don’t want it to be something that fills you with regret.

But how should you pick a MacBook color? And what do the colors even look like in the first place? We’ve got the answers to those questions in this guide. We’d also advise you to go to an Apple Store to take a look at the MacBook colors in person, as some can be hard to appreciate just by browsing Apple’s website.

Read more
Why you should buy a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro
The MacBook Air on a table in front of a window.

The MacBook Air has officially caught up. Now with the M3 on board, the MacBook Air has gained the benefits of the new chip, which was previously available just on the MacBook Pro and iMac.

Choosing between the M3 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro is tough, and requires an in-depth look at differences in ports, displays, speakers, and more. It's a legitimately hard decision to make.

Read more