What You Should Know About Apple’s Big MacBook Update

We've come to expect a new iPhone every September, but Apple is far less regular with its MacBook releases. The first MacBook Pro debuted in 2006, followed by the first-generation MacBook Air in 2008 and the even thinner MacBook in 2015. Now, one decade later, we're finally gearing up for what might be the biggest MacBook Pro update yet. According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning to give the Pro line its first major update since adding a Retina display four years ago. You can expect the new laptops to be thinner, and feature something completely unique: a touchscreen strip along the top of the keyboard instead of physical keys. What shows up on this strip will change depending on what you're using your laptop for, but could include various functions such as the escape key, volume control, or perhaps custom buttons for editing on an app such as iMovie. Basically, it would replace the need to remember keyboard shortcuts — which sounds convenient. And one iPhone feature could cross over to the MacBook Pro: Touch ID, which you'd be able to use to unlock your laptop or in conjunction with Apple Pay (the latter definitely makes sense considering you'll be able to use Apple Pay in Safari soon). Bloomberg also reports it'll include a higher-quality graphics chip, and the potential for new colors to join the lineup. Maybe the rose gold, gold, and silver options of the MacBook, or the dark blue that's been rumored for the iPhone 7? Unfortunately, it looks unlikely that we'll hear about the new MacBook Pro at the September 7 event, when we're expected to finally see the new iPhone. Of course, given that Apple likes that element of surprise, who knows what we'll actually see or when we'll see it.