MacBook Pro 2016 release date, specs news: macOS Sierra 10.12.1 may provide support for rumored OLED touchscreen

Emmanuelle Espiritu Wednesday, October 05, 2016

The Macbook Pro is pictured during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2012 in San Francisco, California. | Reuters/Stephen Lam

Now that October is here, rumors about a possible MacBook Pro 2016 release are gaining ground, but conflicting reports have made it impossible to pinpoint an exact release date.

Recent speculations cited by 9TO5Mac have stated that Apple may launch the highly anticipated MacBook Pro 2016 in a media presentation event that will presumably take place on Monday, Oct. 24. But judging by the Cupertino-based tech company's past releases, a Monday release seems pretty unlikely. However, 9TO5Mac added that since a MacBook Pro update would also logically require a new OS update, which Apple has reportedly been working on, a late October release may still be possible.

A recent article on MacRumors reported that Apple may be hard at work in developing their upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.1 operating system to support the MacBook Pro 2016's rumored revolutionary features like the OLED touchscreen that would reportedly replace the function keys at the top of the laptop's keyboard, and the Touch ID power button, which would add an extra layer of security to Apple's flagship laptop line.

According to an article on AppleInsider, Apple has just issued the third pre-release developer beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.1, which seemed to coincide with the rumored release of the MacBook Pro 2016 later this month.

Speculations were rife last week about Apple's plans on seeding a new macOS 10 Sierra.12.1 beta to polish it up and make it ready to ship on the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh. The operating system is expected to support Apple's vision of promoting new and easier ways for Mac users to interact with their devices, thus fueling the speculations of the OLED touchscreen finally making it into the MacBook Pro 2016's updated design.

Based on reports collated by Macworld, other rumored features of the MacBook Pro 2016 include: 4G connectivity, an Apple Pencil compatible trackpad, a 2304x1440 resolution, and a possible gold-colored option for the 12-inch model.

These are all just speculations at this point and Apple has yet to release an official statement about a possible MacBook Pro 2016 release.