Oliver Haslam·

New Patent Points To Combined Magic Keyboard And Trackpad With Apple Pencil Support

A new Apple patent application suggests the company is working on a new Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad combination accessory that would also support the Apple Pencil, too.

The device, which is under the patent application name of Membrane Sealed Keyboard, would allow users to enjoy a notebook-like experience when using a desktop Mac while also giving MacBook users a unified experience when using their computer in a docked scenario, too.

As pointed out by Patently Apple, the new patent also suggests that Apple continues to try and make its keyboards as impervious to liquid and dust as possible.

Debris, fluids, and other contaminants can penetrate between the keys of conventional keyboards, leading to numerous issues with the appearance, feel, and function of the keys. Therefore, another aspect of the present disclosure relates to using the flexible structure and keycaps to limit ingress of unwanted material into the keyboard by providing a substantially continuous upper surface layer for the keyboard.

The flexible structure can have a spill-proof, waterproof, fluid-tight, and/or unbroken top surface so that any contaminants are held by the flexible structure spaced away from the inside of the keyboard. Contaminants on the flexible structure can then be easily and safely removed from the keyboard without ever penetrating into contact with the more sensitive interior components.

Support for the Apple Pencil is particularly interesting because it would allow people to write on the trackpad to sign documents and whatnot. What’s more, it could also be used for drawing and coloring when an artistic app is in use.

However, and as ever, it’s important to remember that Apple patents a lot of things and few of them make it to market. We can hope this is one that does, but that’s down to the people inside Apple Park.

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