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Apple updated its MacBook Pro line-up at an event in Cupertino, California. The event was timed to mark the 25th anniversary. The new MacBook Pros feature a completely new design, faster components, and an innovative multi-touch screen-cum-controller.

The all-metal unibody laptop comes in two variants based on screen size – 13.3-inch and 15.4-inch. Both are lighter and thinner (14.9mm and 15.5mm respectively) than their predecessors. While the 13-inch variant starts at 1,55,900, the 15-inch version starts at 2,05,900.

The most innovative and advanced feature is the multi-touch control strip which replaces the Fn key row. The company calls it Touch Bar and is interactive and context-sensitive. The Touch Bar adapts to different applications and workflows according to the user.

The new Touch Bar adapts itself to the apps you are using. Already, Mail, Finder, Calendar, Numbers, GarageBand, Final Cut Pro X and even third-party apps like Microsoft Office will be able to exploit its features. Possible uses showed up at the stage including word autocomplete suggestions when typing, email composition and filing tools, Photoshop tool selection and manipulation controls, DJ scratching and mixing, and scrubbing a timeline while editing video.

The MacBook is first to sport a TouchID and is powered by Apple’s new T1 processor. It also supports different profiles, based on a user’s registered fingerprints. It has a more responsive keyboard with a larger force touch trackpad. It has the sixth-generation quad-core and dual-core processors with up to 2.3 times the graphics performance of the previous generation. It also has super-fast SSDs and up to four Thunderbolt 3 ports.

A new design for the speakers allows them to push more air, resulting in a claimed 2x improvement in dynamic range and better bass reproduction. The speakers are now placed on either side of the keyboard. It will be available in Space Grey and Silver colour variants.

On the connectivity front, The models with Touch Bar feature four USB Type-C ports which support Thunderbolt 3 as well as USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds, while the one without Touch Bar has only two ports. In terms of battery, the 13-inch MacBook with Touch Bar and Touch ID is backed by an integrated 49.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, while its larger screen sibling is powered by an integrated 76.0-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.

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