iPhone 13 Might Become A Full-Fledge Laptop, According To Apple's Latest Patent

Apple is reportedly working on a way to use iPhones with Macbook-like chassis to widen the usage of the handset. This invention, if feasible for launch, can change the way users Apple’s handsets.

This news leaked out after a patent surfaces showing iPhone slotted into the trackpad area of a Macbook Pro. What it does is to power the bigger device and also double as a trackpad itself.

Apple won the patent in September 2018 and since then has applied to continue it, meaning the iPhone maker is pretty serious about the idea.

Wild as it may sound, using a smartphone to run a laptop-like accessory isn’t a new idea. Project Linda of Razer explores something similar. It was introduced at CES 2018 but after two years, we haven’t seen the product makes it to the market yet.

However, it is unclear at this point what Apple wants to do with the design as it has sold the idea of using iPad Pro 2020 with a Magic Keyboard as a replacement for a laptop. So if it goes with the patent, it may risk pulling users away from its iPad line.

That is a real concern for Apple before its announcement to switch to ARM-based chips to use in its future MacBooks at WWDC 2020.

The chips share more common traits with mobile chipsets found in iPhones than with Intel or AMD-made CPUs. What we can guess here is Apple is trying to put macOS, iPadOS, and iOS closer together at an architecture and silicon level.

If this comes true, developers might develop apps for both iOS and macOS without the need to customize them for a specific platform.

So what you can expect in the future is a smartphone that can run iOS like normal and then when it is slotted into a laptop accessory, it may work just like a MacBook. All of this make sense for Apple and its decision to continue the said patent.

iPhone 12 is on its way so it is highly unlikely Apple can perfect the tech in time for it. However, by the time we see iPhone 13 arrives, users may have already had a laptop accessory available for purchase.

At the same time, by 2021, Apple should have a complete app ecosystem that can work on both macOS and iOS.

The idea of buying only a smartphone and an accessory sounds appealing to those who don’t want to own a smartphone and a MacBook.

For now, what we can do is to wait until iPhone 12 lunch even takes place this September and see what Apple has up its sleeves. When the time comes, we can also see for ourselves the iMac 2020 and Apple Watch 6.

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