The touch bar can be altered to show context-appropriate buttons, and at the right hand side of the bar is a separate fingerprint sensor, making the MacBook Pro the first TouchID-enabled computer Apple has shipped.
The fingerprint sensor does not appear to be part of the touchscreen, however, with a second image showing a subtle differentiation between the two parts of the computer. That will come as a disappointment to those hoping the computer could be a test run for a new integrated screen-and-fingerprint sensor, which many have been hoping to see in a future iteration of the iPhone.
For those curious, and running a Mac, it’s easy to view the images on your own computer: simply update to macOS Sierra 10.12.1 and open “/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/PassKitUI.framework/Versions/A/Resources/”in the Terminal application .
The images back up reports from earlier this month about the changes being brought to the MacBook Pro line. It’s one of Apple’s oldest product lines without a major revision, with the last minor update coming in May 2015, and users have been expecting major changes for some time.
Even more neglected is the company’s top-tier desktop hardware, the Mac Pro. The computer received a complete redesign in December 2013, but has had absolutely no updates since then. Unless the company has managed to keep potential changes under wraps, that state of affairs is likely to continue: no updates to the Mac Pro are expected.
The source of the leak is unusual. Although Apple has made similar blunders before – for instance, posting the PowerMac G5 on their official website before it was announced – it’s not leaked such a glaringly revealing image in its modern era. That has led to some speculation that the leak may have been deliberate, since it was first spotted just hours before Apple released disappointing financial results showing the company’s first annual drop in profits in 15 years.
Apple has not replied to a request for comment.
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