Apple will release the first significant overhaul of its MacBook Pro laptop line, according to unconfirmed reports, as the company is trying to reverse two quarters of sliding sales. The updated notebooks will be thinner, include a touch screen strip for function keys, and will be offered with more powerful and efficient graphics processors for expert users such as video gamers, Bloomberg's sources claim.

The MacBook Pros aren’t likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone, according to one of the people.

Apple declined to comment.

This year’s MacBook Pro overhaul is aimed at increasing notebook sales at a time when consumers are taking longer to buy or replace iPads.

The most significant addition to the new MacBook Pro is a secondary display above the keyboard that replaces the standard function key row. Instead of physical keys, a strip-like screen will present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application. The smaller display will use Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, a thinner, lighter and sharper screen technology, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year.

The new top-of-the-line MacBook Pros will be slightly thinner than the current models but are not tapered like the MacBook Air and latest 12-inch MacBook, one of the people said. The new MacBook Pros have a smaller footprint than current models and the casing has shallower curves around the edges. The pressure-sensitive trackpad is also slightly wider, the person added.

An option for a version featuring a higher-performance graphics chip from AMD (Polaris) will be available, another person familiar with the matter said. It’s unclear which provider Apple will use for the main processor, but Intel has supplied this in the past.

The new design will include USB-C technology, a multifunctional type of port that can handle charging, data transfers, and display connectivity. Apple has also considered bringing gray, gold, and silver colors to the new line.

Apple is also planning to bring over its Touch ID fingerprint technology from the iPhone to the new MacBook Pro line. Apple has tested versions of the upcoming laptops that integrate the scanner beside the new function key display, according to one of the people. The sensor would allow users to log in more quickly and theoretically authenticate Apple Pay purchases. Like with iPhones, the new Pro laptops will encrypt fingerprint data so it can’t be removed from the devices.

Apple will also release a new version of its Mac operating system named Sierra this fall that brings Siri, new messaging and photo-management features, deeper iCloud integration, and more efficient file storage to Apple’s desktops and laptops, the company said in June.

Microsoft to respond with new Surface all-in-one PCs?

In related news, Microsoft may be preparing to launch three new Surface-branded all-in-one (AIO) PCs later this year. Reports of a Surface AIO first began in June when DigiTimes claimed that Microsoft is planning a Surface AIO as an alternative to the Surface Book. Windows Central now reports that Microsoft is testing three display sizes: 21-inch at full HD, 24-inch at 4K, and 27-inch at 4K.

Microsoft hinted back in July that it's planning a new Surface-branded device for this year, and three more for 2017.

Details around Microsoft's plans for a Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 are still vague, and the company could be waiting on Intel's Kaby Lake processors to introduce a refresh early next year.