Why Did Apple Remove the Touch Bar? The Real Story
- Wondering why Apple ditched the Touch Bar? The M3 MacBook Pro was the final nail in the coffin.
- This story, which started in 2016, actually began getting interesting in 2021.
- It was a slow, painful death until the M3 MacBook Pro came along. Discover why Apple made the change.
The final nail in the coffin for the Touch Bar came with the announcement of the new M3 MacBook Pro. Once hailed as a bold leap into the future, the Touch Bar's journey has come to an end, marking the conclusion of a feature that both intrigued and divided users.
A Look Back at the Touch Bar
The Touch Bar made its debut in 2016, replacing the traditional function keys with a dynamic OLED strip. Designed to offer customizable controls based on the active application, it aimed to revolutionize user interaction on the MacBook Pro. Here’s a quick overview of its timeline:
Photo via Apple Inc. // The Touch Bar offered dynamic controls, but its functionality was limited by developer adoption.
- Launch: Late 2016.
- Feature: An OLED strip providing context-sensitive controls and shortcuts.
- Initial Reception: Mixed reviews, with some users embracing its novelty while others found it redundant.
- Discontinuation: With the release of the M3 MacBook Pro, the Touch Bar has been phased out.
The Initial Excitement and Its Challenges
Upon its introduction, the Touch Bar was seen as a glimpse into the future of computing. Apple showed off several functions, including:
- Media Controls: Easy navigation of video and audio files in QuickTime.
- Custom Bookmarks: Personalized buttons in Safari.
- Contextual Menus: Dynamic controls in various applications.
Despite its potential, the Touch Bar faced several hurdles:
- To Be Honest, It Was Kind Of a Mess: Occasionally the Touch Bar would stop working completely—becoming a black screen that would require a full system restart to re-enable critical system functions like easy access to screen brightness, volume, and so much more. It really was a pain sometimes.
- Limited Developer Adoption: Few third-party apps integrated Touch Bar functionality. For instance, Google Chrome's implementation was basic compared to Safari's more refined approach.
- Apple’s Own Apps: While some Apple apps made good use of the Touch Bar, others, such as Voice Memos, lacked integration, limiting its usefulness.
It was clear almost from the beginning that Apple was never interested in being serious about the feature or its potential and encouraging other developers to be serious, too.— Alex Cranz
Photo via Apple Inc. // An early promotional image of the MacBook Pro showcasing the innovative Touch Bar feature.
As Alex Cranz points out, “The Touch Bar was too ahead of its time... a really cool idea, executed pretty well, and never embraced by anyone but us diehards.”
The Turning Point
By 2021, Apple began to shift away from the Touch Bar. The redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros released that year removed the feature entirely. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, which continued to include the Touch Bar, remained available until now. The launch of the M3 MacBook Pro marks the final phase-out of the Touch Bar, signaling the end of an era.
Here are some highlights about the M3 MacBook Pro:
- Processor: M3 chip, offering substantial performance improvements, including up to 60% faster rendering in Final Cut Pro.
- Design: Retains the 14-inch screen and notch but eliminates the Touch Bar.
- Price: Starts at US $1,599.
Photo via Apple Inc. // The new M3 MacBook Pro: sleek design, powerful performance, and no Touch Bar.
Reflections on the Touch Bar’s Legacy
The discontinuation of the Touch Bar represents a return to a more traditional user interface for Apple's laptops. While the feature was a bold experiment in blending hardware with dynamic software controls, its lack of widespread adoption and limited practical applications led to its eventual retirement.
Cranz notes, “It was clear almost from the beginning that Apple was never interested in being serious about the feature or its potential and encouraging other developers to be serious, too.” The Touch Bar's departure signifies a shift back to more conventional laptop features, underscoring Apple’s focus on core user experiences.
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