Apple recently filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a future MacBook design that would be made entirely of glass trackpad. The patent covers a force input/tactile output interface in the touchpad area that is bezel-less and formable Made of various materials such as metallic glass and composite materials. The user interface surface can be a protective cover, such as glass or sapphire, that sits over the active display area of the display.

Apple’s patent statement #17 states that the laptop will have a glass top surface with the trackpad area defined on the glass top surface. Patent Figure 2A illustrates an example distribution of localized flexible regions defined into an interior surface of an electronic device that may be associated With force input/tactile output interface.

The design of this future MacBook also aims to reduce the thickness of the device by spreading the force input/haptic output actuators across the entire width of the MacBook and eliminating the traditional cutout area for a dedicated trackpad. This design is similar to the one LG showed off at CES The 2023 features a laptop with a glass construction and a trackpad that’s only visible when needed, and then lights under the glass that reveal the perimeter of the trackpad when touched.

Notably, Apple is already working on another similar patent that could illuminate icons on a future glass laptop. The patent would use a dynamic virtual trackpad. Overall, the patent application suggests that Apple is exploring new design options for its future MacBook focus on clean and minimalist design, while also incorporating advanced technology such as force input/haptic output interface. For more information, readers can refer to Apple’s patent application number US 20230018184 A1.

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When Apple announced the Apple M1 iMac earlier this year, it also showed off a handful of new accessories such as the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad. Previously, some of these accessories were exclusive to the new iMac but starting today, they can now be purchased separately.

Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID comes in two versions – one without a numeric keypad and another with numeric Keypad. The former is priced at $149 while the latter is $179.

The Touch ID button is located right above the Delete key and it provides secure authentication for logging in and making purchases. The keyboard itself is wireless and packs a rechargeable that will last up to a month on a single charge. Apple ships it with a braided USB-C to Lightning cable that will be used for pairing and charging the keyboard.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is compatible with all Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 11.4.

Magic Keyboard

There is also a Magic Keyboard without Touch ID priced at $99. It too is wireless and has a rechargeable battery. Apple says it pairs automatically with your Mac and it also comes with a braided USB-C to Lightning cable.

The Magic Keyboard is compatible with Macs running macOS 11.3 or later, iPads with iPadOS 14.5 or later, and iPhones and iPods with iOS 14.5 or later.

Magic Mouse

There new Magic Mouse is priced at $79 and is wireless and rechargeable. It has a multi-touch surface that allows the user to perform gestures such as swiping between web pages and scrolling. While it also comes with a braided cable, Apple has kept the lightning port under the mouse.

Magic Trackpad

The $129 Magic Trackpad is wireless and rechargeable too and is packed with support for multi-port gestures and Force Touch technology. The trackpad is covered in glass and there are sensors underneath that detect the different pressures you apply.

Like the Magic Mouse, it is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled Macs running OS X 10.11 or later and iPad running iPadOS 13.4 or later.

All of the accessories are available for purchase on the Apple website.

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