Newly disclosed research shows that Apple is considering imitating the glass back shell of the iPhone and launching an all-glass MacBook Pro, which may also be equipped with a touch screen. If you just looked at the newly disclosed patent application for "Electronic Devices," you'd think a touchscreen element would be even less likely than a glass-backed MacBook Pro. The touchscreen is actually a side note in this patent application, even though it appears on eight pages, with more and more detail each time.
Also, don’t just look at this one patent application. There have been previous rumors that Apple will launch a touchscreen MacBook Pro sometime in 2025.
However, the real focus of this unusually boringly named "electronic device" patent application is the MacBook Pro's glass lid. Apple has been studying if or when it would change the display portion of the MacBook Pro to use glass on the back, where the Apple logo is.
"Because laptops are typically portable devices, factors such as size, weight, and durability can affect the overall usefulness of the device," Apple said in the document. "In addition, the specific materials used in laptops, especially the casing components, can also affect the size, weight and durability of the computer. For example, casing materials such as plastic may be lightweight, but may be relatively less durable."
As such, Apple suggests that the MacBook Pro's lid contains "a metal casing assembly that defines the peripheral side surfaces...and glass panels for the front and back of the display portion."
A large part of the patent application relates to the assembly and gluing of the different components of the screen. While most of the patent is about the entire glass panel, Apple also mentions in some places that only part of the back is glass. This patent isn't just about Apple trying to launch a display, or about taking us back to a time before 2015 when the Apple logo would light up.
"[Instead, this] configuration results in a display that is partially thin and light while maintaining a high degree of stiffness," Apple continued. "Additionally, because the back of the display portion is made of glass, the back is better able to resist scratches, cracks, warping, and other damage to which other materials may be susceptible."
Apple is often claimed to be working on merging the Mac with the iPad, but the company has always refused to admit it. However, by merging, leakers usually mean using the same software operating system on these devices.
In this case, Apple is actually bringing iPhone hardware elements to the Mac. This is not the first time that Apple has proposed such an idea, as Apple once studied using a single piece of glass to build the iMac.
This patent application was jointly completed by four inventors. Among them is Lauren M. Farrell, who has obtained many patents and applications for displays.