MacBook Pro: Apple launches three new laptops with no standard USB port - as it happened

Apple has unveiled three new MacBook Pro laptops, two of which include a Touch Bar that replaces the function keys and a TouchID scanner that is compatible with Apple Pay.

Alongside the 13-inch and 15-inch Pro upgrades, it launched a scaled-down, thinner version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar and TouchID that will replace the Air. 

Apple has ditched the standard USB port on all of the laptops, while upgrading their processors, screen quality and trackpads. 

The laptops come in two colours, silver and space grey, and are available to pre-order from today. 

The UK prices of the new MacBook Pros are out:

• MacBook Pro 13" (Air replacement) — from £1,449
• MacBook Pro 13" — from £1,749 (with Touch Bar)
• MacBook Pro 15" — from £2,349 (with Touch Bar)

In renaming the smaller version of its laptop the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has craftily ditched the lower price band associated with the Air.  

With no 11-inch version of the laptop and a starting price of £1,499, it looks like Apple customers looking for a cheaper option will now have to turn to the iPad. 

Apple has closed its third product launch event of 2016 with no mention of a new iMac desktop. To recap, the company has unveiled three new MacBook Pro laptops, two that are 13-inch and one that is 15-inch.

A scaled-down 13-inch version replaces the MacBook Air, while the other two have enhanced features including an all-new Touch Bar on the keyboard, TouchID and support for Apple Pay. 

None of the laptops have a standard USB port, but instead have Thunderbolt and USB-C drives. 

13-inch MacBook Pro, thin 

The thin version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,499 (£1,232) and is available to pre-order from today. It will start shipping immediately. 

13-inch MacBook Pro, larger

The scaled-up version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which includes the Touch Bar and TouchID, starts at $1,799 and is available to pre-order from today. It will ship in two to three weeks. 

15-inch MacBook Pro

The high-end version of the MacBook Pro starts at $2,399 and is available to pre-order from today. It will ship in two to three weeks. 

Apple has also launched an upgraded version of the MacBook Air that is now called a 13-inch MacBook Pro. It isn't a wedge shape, but is still 12 per cent smaller than the original version with 13 per cent less volume. 

It has a retina display, as well as faster graphics, processor, keyboard and trackpad. 

The new MacBook Pro has up to 10 hours battery life. 

Here are some of the buttons that the Touch Bar can be customised to display: 

Apple announced that third party companies are already working on developing Touch Bar buttons, including Adobe and Microsoft. 

If you're not clear how USB-C differs from the traditional port, here's an explanation: 

Instead of a standard USB port, the MacBook Pro has four USB-C ports. All four sockets can be used to charge the laptop or attach USB-C, Thunderbolt, HDMI and USB connectors. You'll need an adapter of course, but these can be purchased for less than £20 online. 

Touch Bar is a screen that replaces the function keys at the top of the keyboard. The buttons on the new strip change depending on what program you're using at any given time. For example, when you're in Safari it will display shortcuts to your favourite websites. When you open one of those it then shows buttons for search, going back and opening a new tab.

It can also be used to adjust brightness and change the volume of a song, as well as straighten a picture in Photos or suggest words when you're typing. 

The new MacBook Pro has the following innovations: 

- Force touch track pad that's twice as large as the previous generation

- A Touch Bar that replaces the function keys 

- TouchID integrated with the power button 

- Apple Pay works with the TouchID

- Siri key on the keyboard

The new generation of MacBook Pro is made of aluminium and comes in two sizes and two colours: silver and space grey.

13-inch MacBook Pro:

It's 14.9mm thick, making it 17 per cent thinner than the previous generation of the MacBook Pro. It also weighs 1.36 kg, 0.23kg than the previous generation. 

15-inch MacBook Pro:

It's 15.5mm thick, which is 14 per cent thinner than its predecessor. It's also 20 per cent smaller in volume and weighs 1.8kg. 

Cook says this week marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the first Mac laptop. 

 He hints that the upcoming Mac will introduce a new laptop innovation that "defines and redefines what a notebook is and what a notebook can do". 

Cook has announced a new app called TV that he says will "completely change" how we watch television.

The TV app looks like Apple's answer to Netflix, but it pulls shows from all of the apps you sign up to and lets you select what to watch without having to jump between Netflix and NowTV, for example. 

Apple also announced a partnership with Twitter that means you can now see live social response to TV shows and sports matches alongside the program on your screen. 

Cook says the response to the iPhone 7 has so far been "very strong" and that he's pleased with the reviews.

This year is the first that Apple didn't release sales figures for the first weekend of sales for a new iPhone. Its earnings report on Monday suggested sales weren't as strong as the company may have hoped, but Apple said it is betting on Christmas sales to bring in revenues of up to $78bn. 

Here are some of the best features of the iPhone 7: 

Apple chief executive Tim Cook is on the stage at Apple's California headquarters. His first announcement is the launch of a new website that is accessible for people with disabilities. 

With five minutes to go before the event starts, fans have taken their seats in the auditorium at Apple's HQ. 

Apple will be hoping that the next generation of the MacBook Pro can help reverse its declining fortunes. The Cupertino giant, whose revenues are inextricably tied to iPhone sales, reported its first decline in annual profits since 2001 this week. 

This evening, as Apple holds its event, its closest rival Alphabet is due to report its earnings. It remains to be seen to what extent Google's parent company will have closed the gap between the two. 

Apple is also facing competition on the hardware side from Microsoft, which yesterday launched a new high-end Surface Book and iMac rival the Surface Studio. 

With under half an hour before Tim Cook is expected to take to the stage at Apple's California HQ, here's the Telegraph's review of the 12-inch MacBook, launched last year. 

Ahead of the MacBook Pro launch, an Apple fan discovered pictures of the new MacBook Pro in the code of the update for macOS Sierra. The leak confirmed the laptop will have a  set of changeable, "virtual keys" at the top of the keyboard that are touch sensitive and have an in-built TouchID scanner.  

The keys, which could be called a Magic Toolbar, will change depending on what the laptop is being used for. For example, music controls will appear when iTunes is open. 

Or is it? 

The MacBook Pro will probably follow the 12-inch MacBook's lead and come without a standard USB port. Instead, it will use USB-C, an evolution of the decades-old port which is powerful enough to charge the computer. 

Unlike the removal of the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, Apple's decision to ditch the USB drive is in line with other developments from other tech companies. Google, HTC, OnePlus and other Android handset makers have already adopted the technology. 

Apple could release its own USB to USB-C adapter with the MacBook Pro, but others are already available. 

For more information about USB-C check out our guide here. 

As is customary before its major product launches, Apple has taken its Store offline so that it can update it with its latest range of computers as soon as tonight's event is over. 

Apple is expected to kick off the event at 6pm UK time. We will be covering the announcements as they happen here, and you can follow along by watching the livestream on Apple's website. 

To watch the livestream you will need Safari on any of the following devices: iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch on iOS 7 or later and Mac computers with OS X v10.8.5. You can also watch it on Microsoft Edge on a PC running Windows 10. Streaming on Apple TV requires a 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation of the product with software 6.2 or later.  

Although there have been fewer reports about the MacBook Air, we still think that Apple is going to launch a new version of the lightweight laptop this evening. It will probably follow the Pro in not having any standard USB ports, and may only come in one 13-inch size. It could also have a retina display and come in multiple colours. 

Apple may surprise analysts and launch its next iMac desktop at today's event complete with a new graphics chip and support for 5K video. However, we might have to wait for a 2017 event before we see the iMac, according to Bloomberg.

Apple is planning to launch a new version of the MacBook Pro this evening. The biggest changes to the high-end laptop will be, according to reports, the loss of the standard USB port and the introduction of a touch-display keypad to replace the function keys. 

Other features could include speakers mounted on the top next to the keyboard and TouchID that is compatible with Apple Pay. 

Like its predecessor, the latest MacBook Pro range is likely to come in two sizes, 13 and 15 inches. It is expected to be available in more colours than just the traditional silver, including space grey, rose gold and gold.

Good afternoon, it's Cara McGoogan here. In just under two hours' time Apple will open its third product launch event of the year, at which it is expected to unveil a host of new laptops and possibly a new desktop computer. We're eagerly awaiting the first major update to the MacBook Pro and Air laptops in many years, and wondering if we'll see a new iMac too. 

I'll be following the news as it happens and bringing you live updates throughout the evening.