Will your next MacBook have a rotating display? According to Patently Apple, it’s definitely possible. Apple recently won a patent for a MacBook with a rotating, detachable screen. The patent also mentions backside cameras that are either fixed or attachable.
According to the sketches and descriptions, the display won’t rotate in the traditional sense. Instead, it looks like the design will incorporate a “base portion which could be movably, pivotally, or rotatably connected or affixed to a display portion, for example, by way of a hinge assembly.” That means users could potentially detach the display, flip it into the base, and position it accordingly. Rotating the display would make this MacBook ideal for conference calls and presentations.
While that’s tantalizing news, the camera portion of the patent is equally compelling. Several imaginings of this back-mounted camera are included, as well as LIDAR, facial recognition, and infrared sensors. Some of the illustrations show the camera sitting flush against the panel, while others show the camera jutting out, similar to what you’d find on an iPhone camera module.
The most intriguing portion of the patent discusses a “second camera module,” where an “optical component” can be attached to either the front or back of the lid. However, there’s no mention of how the dual cameras would be used. Is Apple thinking about improving FaceTime or video conferencing as a whole? Or maybe there’s a way to use the extra module to get the perfect shot?
We’ll have to wait and see if Apple decides to incorporate either design in the next-gen MacBooks.
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