Apple has reportedly filed a patent for a MacBook Pro with a dedicated slot for the Apple Pencil. Yanko Designs rendered the concept on their website. The patent hints that Apple may integrate support for the Apple Pencil on future MacBook Pro models with touch screens.
To enable Apple Pencil on the MacBooks, Apple will have to replace the existing screen with multi-touch displays. As we’d reported earlier, the upcoming MacBook Pro might not get a Touch Bar. Instead, Apple might be planning to replace the Touch Bar with a dedicated slot for the Apple Pencil, as seen in the concept images by Yanko Design.
Apple Pencil on a MacBook
If the concept images are anything to go by, the Apple Pencil may be housed above the keyboard to replace the Touch Bar. Sure, the Pencil will add productivity to the Apple MacBook touch screen, especially for image designers. However, Apple does patent many things, and they never see the light of the day.
Right now, the Apple iPad is one of the most powerful devices that can very well replace a laptop. A MacBook with a touch screen may just be overkill. For someone like me who enjoys the raw power of the MacBook and spends most of my time typing, I don’t see any sense in adding a touch screen. But that’s just a personal thought.
Nevertheless, Apple has been cross-integrating various elements into their ecosystem. Case in point: the Magic Keyboard for the iPad. Since Apple’s tablet has taken the keyboard from its sibling (MacBooks), it seems it’s time for payback! And if it ever does come, well, the scribble feature would be nice for taking quick notes from my editor directly on my MacBook’s touch screen.