A leaked image in the recently released macOS Catalina 10.15.1 indicates that Apple is planning to release a 16-inch version of the MacBook Pro with a dedicated power/Touch ID key that is separated from the rest of the Touch Bar. The feature would give the MacBook Pro a hardware-based escape key, which would distinguish it from the software escape key that is being used in current versions of the laptop.

The images do not represent a significant redesign of the MacBook Pro, but would seem to reaffirm Apple’s ongoing commitment to Touch ID. The fingerprint recognition platform was a central security feature of the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models that were first unveiled back in May.  

Apple introduced a Touch ID autofill utility to its MacBook computers at the beginning of the year, and also brought Touch ID to the MacBook Air last October. However, the company’s more recent actions suggest that its plans for fingerprint recognition go well beyond its MacBook line. The tech giant has published a patent for an in-display fingerprint recognition system, and there are now multiple rumors that point to the return of Touch ID in future iterations of the iPhone. 

Source: 9 to 5 Mac