“A US patent application filed in September 2016 points to an accessory that look like a traditional clamshell laptop, but has an iPhone-sized slot instead of a touchpad,” Joshua Goldman reports for CNET.
“The patent suggests the iPhone could potentially handle the processing part as well as touch input and wireless communications,” Goldman reports. “The patent also includes a design where the screen is replaced with an iPad, similar to designs like the Incipio ClamCase Bluetooth keyboard, but with the addition of a touchpad below the keyboard.”
Goldman reports, “With tablet sales continuing to shrink, this could extend the usefulness of an entry-level iPad like the one announced earlier this week.”
Apple’s patent application abstract states: “The present application describes various embodiments of systems and methods for providing internal components for portable computing devices having a thin profile. More particularly, the present application describes an electronic accessory device available to extend and expand usefulness of a portable computing device.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What was that we asked back in October 2014? Oh, right:
Anyone in the market for a 12.9-inch device that’s an OS X-powered MacBook when docked with its keyboard base and an iOS-powered iPad when undocked? — MacDailyNews, October 7, 2014