HIGHLIGHTS

• Apple filed a patent for a very futuristic MacBook three years back.
• It has now won the patent that shows a MacBook with two displays.
• One of the displays will feature all sorts of virtual tools, such as virtual keyboard.

Apple has won a major patent for its MacBook from the US Patent and Trademark Office that may inspire the future generations of the company’s coveted laptop. The patent shows a MacBook that will have two displays, a virtual keyboard, and the ability to wirelessly charge an iPhone. Filed about three years back and granted recently, Apple’s patent underscores an ambitious design for the MacBook, which is currently in the phase where it is undergoing design changes.

Whatever the patent, spotted by Patently Apple, describes are mostly radical changes. For instance, the virtual keyboard. Apple is already rumoured to remove the Touch Bar from the MacBook Pro with the next-generation model, but this patent shows the company may be thinking of removing the entire physical keyboard. Instead, there will be a second display on the MacBook. The display will feature different keyboard layouts for typing, much like how you type on your smartphone’s screen.

However, Apple will not be the first one to implement such a mechanism if it ever plans to. Asus already sells laptops with secondary displays that can bring a virtual keyboard or double as a touchscreen tool for things like a calculator. The patent shows the secondary display of the MacBook will form the base and, because it is a touchscreen, the possibilities are endless. Apple could design an emoji panel, a game controller, or even a trackpad — all virtual — for this touchscreen. The virtual keyboard on this MacBook could be rearranged according to the user preference. The virtual keyboard and trackpad could also allow users to make gestures such as pinch to zoom and slide to select from iOS and iPadOS.

Apple may also have envisioned integrating biometric solutions into this MacBook. The patent shows the MacBook will come with support for either Touch ID or Face ID or an advanced version of Touch ID and Face ID. This sensor would find its place on the left side of the MacBook. The left side will have an area dedicated to the iPhone that can sit on top of it and charge wirelessly. All the flagship iPhone models support wireless charging and they are likely to continue doing so, which is why Apple is thinking of bringing the iPhone even closer to the MacBook.

Patents are not necessarily a blueprint of an impending product, which is why there is no guarantee if this futuristic MacBook will ever become a reality. Tech companies, such as Apple, keep filing patents for breakthrough designs and technology but they rarely come true. And even if Apple decides to launch a MacBook like this, it will take a lot of time. For now, Apple is reportedly focusing on the next generation of MacBook Pro that will feature the M1X processor, more ports than before, and a Mini-LED display.