Why Did Apple Get Rid Of The Touch Bar On The MacBook Pro?

José Adorno/BGR

Apple introduced the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pro, which was one of the boldest redesigns this laptop has ever had. Not only did Apple fully embrace USB-C ports (and only those), but it also unveiled a new keyboard with the Butterfly mechanism, and the Touch Bar which replaced the function keys. With many controversies regarding this product, Apple took three years to tweak the laptop; the company added a physical Escape key next to the Touch Bar and switched out the keyboard. It took five years in total to fix the MacBook Pro, and replace it with the design we know today.

When Apple introduced the current generation of MacBook Pro in 2021, the company didn’t give much of an explanation as to why it got rid of the Touch Bar. Apple’s press release merely notes it was adding “physical function keys, including a wider Escape key, replace the Touch Bar, bringing back the familiar, tactile feel of mechanical keys that pro users love.” With the 2021 MacBook Pro, Apple decided to introduce a more industrial design, and bring back MagSafe, HDMI, and SD support. In addition, the laptop gained a new miniLED display and retained the scissor keyboard mechanism. Still, to understand the fallout of the Touch Bar, it’s important to see where Apple was at that moment and what happened in the following years.