Apple has obtained patent rights to the dual-screen MacBook from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It might also be an echo of an old battle with Microsoft Windows and Google Chrome OS, the future of laptops.
From iPad to MacBook
Ceylon Batley AppleThe patent covers a dual-screen laptop computer designed by Apple, which replaces the keyboard with a virtual keyboard not unlike that of the iPad, but with several possible layouts, to support different use cases, from work to gaming. The device is described as having biometric sensors, a fingerprint sensor and a wireless charger.
While this is just a patent, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple will make such a product, it does raise the possibility that the touch functions of the iPhone and iPad, or even the expensive camera setup in the iPhone 12, which supports Face ID, could be ported to MacBook.
Among the exciting prospects offered by this patent, MacBook could become a wireless charger for iOS devices such as iPhone and Apple Watch.
The battle for the dual screen
Three years ago, Microsoft’s hardware team made a rare move by showcasing a prototype of its Centaurus dual-screen laptop just in time for Apple’s WWDC conference. Meanwhile, Apple was patenting a new dual-screen MacBook that replaced the keyboard with a touchscreen interface with soft-buttons, which would have avoided the disastrous butterfly keyboard after 2015.
Three years later, Microsoft is ditching Windows 10X — originally slated for dual-screen devices like the Surface Neo on newer chips — and moving ahead with Windows 11 for single-screen laptops, while Apple is halfway through the transition. From Intel chips on Macs to arm-based silicon.
Separately, Apple received two patents earlier this year that describe a MacBook with built-in reverse charging coils that can wirelessly charge an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. This will allow Apple customers to avoid carrying bulky wireless charging pads and reduce the number of cables needed while on the go.
Using a MacBook as a wireless charger would be a feat of engineering and a great product, however, given that MacBooks are currently made of aluminum, which does not allow for wireless charging.
Google was able to get around this problem by placing a plastic slot on its aluminum chassis to allow for the wireless spool.
Source : ZDNet.com
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