Future MacBooks Could Come With A Retractable Keyboard

One of the benefits of Apple shifting to ARM-based chipsets is that it might address thermal issues that one might associate with regular computer processors. This also means that Apple could do away with additional components like a fan, and as a result, we could be seeing thinner laptops from the company in the future.

It could also, in theory, allow them to fit in a new keyboard. As discovered by Patently Apple, it appears that the Cupertino company could be toying around with a new idea for a keyboard in the form of a retractable design. This means that the keyboard will retract into the case of the laptop when closed, and will raise upwards above the base of the chassis when the lid is opened.

By creating a retractable design instead of having a fixed keyboard, it could potentially shrink the thickness of the laptop. However, given that this is just a patent, there’s really no telling if Apple plans on making this a reality, although we have to admit that we’re not 100% sold on the idea. Retracting means having to add more moving components which gives it a greater chance of failure.

Apple ran into issues when they tried to reinvent the laptop keyboard with their butterfly switches, which ultimately led them to sort of admit defeat by bringing back the scissor mechanism. Don’t get us wrong though, this patent sounds like an interesting idea, but how practical it may be is a different story.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Computers
Tags: keyboards, Laptops, macbook air, Macbook Pro, Social Hit