Apple expected to ditch Touch Bar in 2021 MacBook Pro models

Apple will ditch the “Touch Bar” on its next batch of MacBook Pro computers in favor of returning to physical keys, according to a reputable analyst.

Ming-Chi Kuo of TFI Securities writes this week that the iPhone maker is calling it quits on the largely unloved feature after five years, as the long, thin, interactive video strip atop MacBook Pro keyboards never became the revolutionary tool that Apple first pitched in 2016.

But control keys aren’t the only major change that Apple is making to its 2021 MacBook Pro line, according to a MacRumors report.

The upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch laptops will see a design change that will scrap the curved edges that the computers have sported for the past 5 year in favor of a more flat-edged design like the new iPhone 12 family.

They will also add more types of ports instead of the USB-C that they have been limited to in recent years, meaning that consumers won’t have to buy pricey dongles to plug different wires and devices into their MacBook.

Apple is also bringing back its MagSafe charging connector after ditching it when it introduced USB-C to MacBook’s. In older MacBook models, MagSafe allowed chargers to quickly snap in and out of the computer using magnets.

The new MacBook Pro models are expected to be released in mid-2021. 

The Cupertino, Calif.-based gadget maker is also gearing up to give a major facelift to its iMac line, Bloomberg reports. The new desktop computers will feature Apple’s powerful M1 chip, as well as receive a redesign that will see its thick black bezels slimmed and its backside flattened to be more like the pricey XDR display it released in 2019. 

The redesign will be the first major change to the computers since 2012, and will be the biggest visual update to an Apple device this year, according to the report. 

Apple shares were mostly flat on Friday, trading down 0.1 percent at $128.70.