Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Future MacBooks could replace this integral component with a touchscreen

Some patent applications from Apple seem a bit on the crazy side and some are a little more grounded. Recently, Apple was granted a patent for a dual-screen MacBook that would replace the built-in keyboard with a virtual one like on the iPad. It would also gain the ability to wirelessly charge an iPhone.

Apple first submitted the patent for an “integrated interface system” three years ago, and we were skeptical that a dual-screen MacBook would even work. However, the company has finally been granted the patent, so we’ll have to see what it does with it.

Picture of Apple dual-screen patent.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The primary goal of the dual-screen is to provide the flexibility to change the interface as needed. For example, there could be multiple keyboard configurations to reflect different languages or region-specific layouts. The position and size of the keyboard could be changed depending on user preferences. It’s all very similar to what the current iPad virtual keyboard is capable of.

Apple doesn’t stop at keyboard configurations, though. One of the figures show the ability to interact with external objects such as a joystick for gaming or 3D modeling applications. Apple also envisions several biometric sensors such as Touch ID being integrated into the screen.

One feature that might perk up the ears of the Apple faithful is the inclusion of a wireless charging area for the iPhone or any other smartphone (assuming it’s using the Qi standard). This would make it much more convenient than purchasing a separate wireless charger, as well as reduce desk clutter.

Picture of dual-display Apple patent with wireless charger.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Obviously, a dual-screened device is not a new concept. Lenovo in 2018 released the Yoga Book C930, which featured a unique e-ink screen. The company followed that up with the Thinkpad X1 Fold, a laptop with no physical keyboard at all, but with an actual folding screen. Of course, we can’t talk about dual-screen laptops without mentioning Microsoft’s delayed Surface Neo and Windows 10X.

There have been calls for Apple to put a touchscreen on Macs for a while, but probably more so once the company starting putting its own ARM silicon into its laptops and desktops. The M1 chip is able to run iOS apps natively on a Mac, so it makes sense to add touchscreen support. However, we’ve written before that Apple will probably never make a touchscreen Mac, and Steve Jobs was notoriously against the idea altogether because of the ergonomics.

This newly granted patent gets around this ergonomic problem by allowing Apple to simply modify the displays however it wants. According to the patent itself: “… transparent dielectric material may form a continuous or seamless input surface that may improve the look and feel of the device without having the drawbacks of some traditional device constructions.”

These “drawbacks” simply mean that Apple doesn’t have to physically alter the keyboard or create new MacBook designs in order to change the look and feel. Everything can simply be done through the software. This would save Apple a lot of time and money in hardware design and could be Apple’s ultimate vision of combining the Mac and iPad into one device.

Regardless of  which patent items ultimately get implemented, they hopefully won’t end up as unpopular as the Touch Bar.

Editors' Recommendations

David Matthews
David is a freelance journalist based just outside of Washington D.C. specializing in consumer technology and gaming. He has…
Apple could soon kill off the Mac Pro, new report claims
Apple's new Mac Pro sits on display in the showroom during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).

It’s likely we are now only a few weeks away from seeing Apple’s first Macs loaded with M3 chips, but the entire lineup has apparently just been leaked for all to see. And there are a few big surprises among the rumored Macs.

We’ve gained these revelations thanks to journalist Mark Gurman, whose reports are usually impressively accurate when it comes to upcoming Apple products. Gurman’s latest report is allegedly based on chip configurations Apple is testing internally, so things could change in the future.

Read more
The MacBook Pro 14 still obliterates this Windows laptop
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 14 front view showing display and keyboard deck.

Several of Apple's latest MacBooks are on our list of the best laptops around, and the MacBook Pro 14 is arguably the best 14-inch laptop you can buy today. Any new machine that wants to compete has to offer an incredibly compelling combination of features and value.

Lenovo's Slim Pro 9i 14 is a laptop that's obviously aimed directly at the MacBook. It has some powerful components inside and it performs just as well. It's also less expensive. Unfortunately, even those things fail to give it a leg up.
Specs and configurations

Read more
This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations

Read more