Apple will reportedly release thinner, lighter MacBook Pros in Q4

Apple is planning to refresh its MacBook Pro line of laptops with thinner and lighter models in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a new report.

There will be 13-inch and 15-inch models, both of which will feature a new “OLED display touch bar” and the Touch ID feature that thus far has only been available on iOS devices, according to 9to5Mac, which cited respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and unnamed sources.

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The design of the new laptops will be influenced by that of the 12-inch MacBook, which was recently refreshed with sixth-generation Intel Core M processors and faster integrated graphics.

Like the 12-inch MacBook, the new MacBook Pros will support the USB-C standard (no word if there will be more than one port). There will also be support for Thunderbolt 3 for connecting with peripherals, such as external displays — that feature is missing from the 12-inch MacBook.

The powerful but big and clunky MacBook Pro — last updated in 2012 — has sorely needed a refresh. Some had suspected that it would happen in 2016, but now there is clear information coming from Kuo. (In March, Kuo was reported to have said that Apple would refresh the iPhone lineup in 2017).

In addition to the new MacBook Pros, Apple will also come out with a new 13-inch MacBook that will sit alongside the 12-inch MacBook, as reported by 9to5Mac.