Apple won a patent that would allow it to manufacture a Hybrid MacBook/iPad in the future. The recent patent showcases that Apple has a strong intention to produce a hybrid MacBook. However, hybrid laptops are already a thing, and the Microsoft Surface Book is a prime example.
One of the patents showcases that Apple is planning a detachable MacBook-like device that could double up as an iPad. There is one more interesting idea of connecting two iPads in a MacBook-like fashion.
Apple Hybrid MacBook Patents
The first patent gives a glimpse of what a future Hybrid MacBook would look like. Patent imagery shows that the keyboard side will feature a magnetic hinge that will connect to the display. The display could be pulled apart and used as a tablet too. Moreover, the hinge design would also offer a 360-degree rotation without detaching the display.
The patent image published by ApplePatently also reveals that the Apple Pencil would snap on the side of the display. The system will run a lookalike for MacOS instead of the iPad OS that comes with the iPad. The second imagery reveals the concept of connecting two displays. Connecting two iPads would be a fair assumption in this case. But how the hinge would work, in that case, is still a mystery.
More about the new patent
Apple won patents for foldable laptop-like devices, but it contradicts the earlier statements of Tim Cook. The CEO once said that convertible PCs were a tradeoff for a laptop. But Apple has been working on offering the same hybrid PC experience via iPad for quite some time now.
Apple introduced the Apple Pencil and then the Magic keyboard attached to newer iPads. These add-ons slowly converted the iPad into a mini-laptop, which Tim Cook would disagree with. Microsoft Surface devices set an example of the efficacy of convertible PC, and now Apple cannot resist the idea. The new iPads now come with the same modularity of adding a keyboard and stylus as the Surface.
Apple has won the patent, but there is a lot of work to build the Apple Hybrid MacBook. For starters, the iPad OS needs to be replaced by something which would adapt to these hybrid devices. The images showcase a macOS-like operating system, which could mean Apple may add tablet mode support to the OS.
Apple is always intentionally late to every new invention but ends up making the best version of it. What do you think of the new patents that Apple won? Would you ever buy a hybrid MacBook, or are you content with your iPad? Share your thoughts in the comments.
