All Apple fans are eagerly waiting for MacBook Pro 2016 release. To our disappointment, MacBook Pro 2016 may not launch at Apple September 7th event. Expected to bring in lots of exciting new features, MacBook Pro launch is the most anticipated Apple event this year. The upcoming Pro is rumored to feature Touch ID power button and OLED touch-sensitive keys and as the latest news confirms, USB 3.1 as well.
USB Type C is coming on the new MacBook (image source: blogs.wsj.com)
As reported by 9to5mac, macOS Sierra code has revealed that MacBook Pro 2016 will feature 10Gb/s USB 3.1. The source site found the code for super-fast USB 3.1 in a localizable text string in the beta version of macOS Sierra. The site specifically pointed at entries for “Super Speed Plus” and “Up to 10 Gb/sec”, indicating that Apple will probably incorporate the second-gen USB 3.1 supporting transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s. Thunderbolt 3’s presence in MacBook Pro 2016 comes as no surprise going by Apple’s history. Apple always brings in the latest USB support for its devices. USB with thunderbolt ports is a great addition to hardware because it supports speeds up to 10Gb/s and can also support DisplayPort 1.2.
The present Mac devices only support speeds up to 5Gb/s. So it’s only fair to expect 10Gb/s support in the upcoming Pro. The existence of “super_speed_plus” string in the macOS Sierra code strongly indicates future support for 10Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 in the upcoming Mac hardware.
In addition to USB 3.1 and thunderbolt support, MacBook Pro 2016 is rumored to feature Touch ID and OLED function keys. Touch ID will allow users to unlock the device using fingerprint, just as in iOS devices. When macOS Sierra launches, this feature can be integrated to use Apple Pay functionality. Apple is planning on replacing the function key with OLED touchscreen. OLED hardware support has already been confirmed in macOS Sierra.
MacBook OLED display concept (image source: martinhajek.com)
While USB 3.1, OLED function keys, and Touch ID are all expected to be part of MacBook Pro 2016, only the official announcement will confirm the actual features the upcoming Pro will sport.
As far as release date is concerned, there is no concrete evidence which suggests exact release time frame. If current rumors are to be believed, we will witness the MacBook Pro 2016 launch event in October this year.