Clues in macOS Sierra point to OLED touch bar for MacBook Pro

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Adding an OLED touchpad could make the MacBook Pro even more magical.
Adding an OLED touchpad could make the MacBook Pro even more magical.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple’s WWDC 2016 keynote came and went without any new hardware announcements, but you might not have to wait much longer for the unveiling of the new MacBook Pro.

Source code in the first beta build of macOS Sierra hints that Apple plans to add support for an OLED touchpad, seemingly confirming the accuracy of the leaked MacBook Pro photos Cult of Mac published last month.

Some new API changes hidden inside the source code for the next version of macOS also reveal Touch ID is in the works as well for Apple desktops. The new APIs were spotted by Mac Generation and suggest that the rumored OLED touch bar on the next-gen MacBook Pro will dynamically adjust to show system information and soft keys related to other applications.

The first build of macOS Sierra contains references to a Biometric device, with input options for single, double and triple taps. There is also mention of “USB Superspeed+” for USB 3.1.

https://mobile.twitter.com/felix_schwarz/status/742611908340133889

Documentation for the new APIs provides no information to developers, only stating that the technology is still in development. It’s unknown when Apple plans to unveil the new MacBook Pro. However, with the public release of macOS Sierra not slated until this fall, it might be a few more months before it’s seen in stores.

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