New | Apple revamps MacBook Pro with virtual keyboard controls

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Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, speaks during an event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California as the iconic firm debuts new Mac computers. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 2:54am, 28 Oct 2016Updated: 9:57am, 28 Oct 2016

Apple on Thursday introduced the first overhaul of its MacBook Pro laptop in more than four years, demonstrating dedication to a product that represents a small percentage of revenue.

The highlight is a new digital display on the top row of the MacBook Pro keyboard. The strip has function keys that change based on the task at hand. The feature is called the Touch Bar. The new laptop comes in 13-inch and 15-inch versions and is available in both standard silver and space gray colours.

The Touch Bar has controls for navigating e-mail, editing photos, and sending emojis, Apple said. Buttons for connecting to servers, taking screenshots, and turning off notifications can be added, Apple software head Craig Federighi said during a demonstration.

The new MacBook Pro is the first to include Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor. To securely store data needed for Apple Pay transactions, the updated laptops have a dedicated chip called “T1.”

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks with the Apple TV logo in the background. Photo: Bloomberg

The notebooks were unveiled by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller at an event at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. The design is similar to previous iterations, but the devices are lighter, thinner and slightly narrower, but include all-metal components.