macOS Discovery Suggests MacBook Pro OLED Touch Bar Coming

Apple released macOS Sierra 10.12.1 in the Mac App Store yesterday and already, people have started discovering new assets hidden within the system resources of the latest update. One such discovery has been made by Gabriel Lorin, who has found a new set of assets which shows an updated physical keyboard layout coming for Macs that will support the new operating system version (via MacRumors). 

It has been strongly rumoured that Apple will be releasing new 2016 MacBook Pros on Thursday that include a touch-based OLED bar, replacing the physical function key row seen on current Macs. Looking at the newly discovered keyboard layout, it appears safe to assume that the highly anticipated OLED Touch Bar may actually be coming to the upcoming Macs.

The source has discovered three sets of layout files in macOS 10.12.1 system resources, with each image depicting a virtual keyboard that lacks the standard tactile row of function keys.

“The image files do not directly represent the OLED touch bar and its functionality, which will likely be managed using separate preferences, but the omission of the function row entirely in these new layouts leaves no other reasonable explanation beyond those key functionalities being moved to a separate location such as the rumored touch bar”.

Apple is expected to refresh its MacBook Pro lineup, 13-inch MacBook Air and possibly the iMac at the ‘hello again’ event.