Stunning concept brings MacBook with Apple Pencil to life

Macbook Apple Pencil (Image credit: Sarang Sheth)

What you need to know

Apple recently patented a MacBook that houses an Apple pencil.
A new concept has brought the idea to life.
Sarang Sheth has created a design of a MacBook, holding an Apple Pencil where the Touch Bar used to be.

A patent filed by Apple earlier this week that revealed a new MacBook design with an Apple Pencil housed in place of its Touch Bar has been brought to life in a stunning new concept.

Sarang Sheth through Yanko Design has created a concept of a MacBook with an Apple Pencil housed where the Touch Bar used to be, as based on a patent filing from Apple made public this week.

As you can see, the incredibly detailed concept reveals how Apple could one day house an Apple Pencil as part of a MacBook chassis, based on the patent filed by Apple. The incredible design begs the question as to how Apple could one day bring Apple Pencil and whether there is a need or a market for an Apple laptop that supports a stylus input or perhaps a touch screen. Whilst Apple reportedly has new mini-LED MacBook Pro (2021) models on the way, there are certainly no rumors to indicate Apple has any plans to add such capabilities to its Macs over the coming months or even years. Apple has reserved Apple Pencil support for devices like the M1 iPad Pro (2021) and its other best iPads. Yet clearly, Apple is at least thinking about how it could expand Pencil support to the Mac one day.

Macbook Pencil (Image credit: USPTO / iMore)

The patent pertains to "mountable tool computer input" and states:

A variety of handheld input devices are used to detect user input. For example, a stylus is often used to provide input by contacting a digitizer or touch-sensitive panel of an electronic device. The touch panel may include a touch-sensitive surface that, in response to detecting a touch event, generates a signal that can be processed and used by other components of the electronic device. A display component of the electronic device may display textual and/or graphical display elements representing selectable virtual buttons or icons, and the touch sensitive surface may allow a user to navigate and change the content displayed on the display screen. Typically, a user can move one or more input devices, such as a stylus, across the touch panel in a pattern that the device translates into an input command. Some styluses can be touch- and force-sensitive to provide writing or drawing input to the electronic device. Functions of the stylus or electronic device can also be remotely controlled by interacting with a sensor on the stylus while the stylus is handheld.

Would you be interested in a MacBook with Apple Pencil support, and what do you think of the concept?

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple.

1 Comment

"Would you be interested in a MacBook with Apple Pencil support"
Only if it is a convertible or 2-1. Using a pencil (stylus/pen) on a traditional laptop is just awkward. It adds very little to the capability. If you are using a pencil you really want the ability to lay the screen down and rest the heel of you hand on the screen as if you are drawing/writing on paper. Just poking icons, menu items, and the occasional signature doesn't justify the extra weight, power drain, and cost of pen enabling the screen on a laptop. I don't think the issue of MacOS not being pen optimized is a big deal. It is really specific applications where pen support could be beneficial, and many of them already are most of the way there. The support they have for Cintiq (like) pads transfers almost directly. The patent consideration of having a place to store the thing is very encouraging.