Future MacBook Pro could steal this killer iPad Pro feature

Time to come MacBook Pro could steal this killer iPad Pro feature

(Image credit: Sarang Sheth / Yanko Blueprint)

A newly filed patent has teased the possibility that a future Apple tree MacBook could come with built-in Apple tree Pencil support for doodling on a touchscreen — and now a prepare of concept images has shown merely what that could look like.

The patent, uncovered this week by Plainly Apple tree, shows a MacBook with a dock tray for an Apple tree Pencil-like device, blurring the line between the company's laptop and iPad Pro line. The Apple Pencil would sit down above the number keys where the Bear on Bar currently resides, and would actually replace the F central functionality when not in use.

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"Uniquely, a high-cease lighting organisation is built-into the retainer and the Apple tree Pencil wherein the Pencil can replace the top F-Key row with the functional key symbols illuminated on Apple Pencil with full functionality," the site explains. This is what that looks like in practice:

MacBook with Apple Pencil patent — (Image credit: Patently Apple)

Diagrams tin only accept you lot and so far, though, and that's where designer Sarang Sheth steps in with these mockups for Yanko Design.

Interestingly, Sheth'southward take all the same leaves a little space for the reportedly presently-to-be-axed Bear upon Bar. Here, it but provides access to Siri and other apps.

Of grade, a patent awarding is no guarantee that the ideas contained within will always actually appear in a commercially available product. Apple is notoriously prolific with its patent applications, and filed over 5,000 of them in 2020 alone. Some volition eventually be part of a product buyable from your local Apple shop, but many others won't.

Information technology'due south incommunicable to say whether this will exist one of the ideas that makes it to product or not, only it's worth remembering what Steve Jobs said well-nigh the idea of touchscreen laptops back in the day:

"We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work," Jobs said during a 2010 event. "Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical. It gives great demo, but after a short menses of time, you lot commencement to fatigue. After an extended flow of fourth dimension, your arm wants to fall off. It doesn't work. It'due south ergonomically terrible. Touch surface want to exist horizontal, hence pads."

Apple is, of course, under new management at present. Tim Cook has shown in the by that he'due south quite happy to go against Steve Jobs orthodoxy (Jobs was notoriously against the idea of styluses, for a start), and information technology'southward entirely possible he will over again.

Simply for what information technology'southward worth, I hold with Jobs on this one. I own a second-generation Surface Laptop, a device that has a touchscreen and Surface Pen support. I tin count on one hand the number of times I've used the touchscreen, and it's mostly been to demonstrate its presence. While I never bought the Surface Pen, I did try somebody else's and information technology's merely impractical: the screen wobbles when pressed, and you have to lean over the keyboard to depict.

Apple might accept a style to circumvent these problems in the works, or the patent might merely be a way of staking claim to the idea in case somebody else tries it. Either manner, it makes for interesting concept art.

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Freelance contributor Alan has been writing nearly tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in betwixt. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are institute all over the web and in the occasional mag besides. When non weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably observe him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more than likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.