How a little of Apple’s iOS magic in every new Touch Bar adds security

“For years, people have speculated about whether Apple would ditch macOS in favor of iOS, shedding desktops and turning laptops into something like an iPad Pro in a fixed clamshell,” Glenn Fleishman writes for Macworld.

“A version of iOS has apparently come to the Mac, but not in a way that anybody expected,” Fleishman writes. “The new Touch Pad has a separate brain, a custom T1 ARM processor system-on-a-chip (SoC), that looks to be running a stripped-down variant of iOS, possibly derived from watchOS.”

“It makes sense, because Apple has paired Touch ID in iOS with its custom Secure Enclave chip, a tamper-resistent security vault that’s separate from but intertwined with an iPhone or iPad’s processing circuitry,” Fleishman writes. “There’s a Secure Enclave chip in every Touch Bar, just as in every iOS device with Touch ID.”

Much more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Not only that, but you can play Doom on it.

SEE ALSO:
Apple’s new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar runs iOS on Apple’s T1 processor – October 28, 2016
Apple does touch right and, as usual, Microsoft does it wrong – October 28, 2016
Amazon offers big savings on Apple’s all-new Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro models – October 28, 2016
IBT: Apple’s MacBook Pro Touch Bar is the coolest thing ever; will change the way we use laptops – October 28, 2016
Wired hands on with Apple’s New MacBook Pro: It’s a whole new kind of laptop – October 27, 2016
CNET on the new MacBook Pro: Apple’s amazing strip show reinvents the notebook – October 27, 2016
Hands on with Apple’s new MacBook Pro: Looks and feels so good it’s unreal – October 27, 2016
Apple debuts three new TV ads for all-new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar – October 27, 2016
Apple unveils groundbreaking new MacBook Pro with revolutionary Touch Bar and huge Force Touch trackpad – October 27, 2016

1 Comment

  1. The is a great example of the macOS/iOS device and software synergy for which I have been waiting. Touch ID and secure enclave on MBPs is a nice step forwards.

    It may not be everything that people expect or are hoping for from Apple. But credit should be given where it is due. Apple designers still have a long term mindset.

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