Apple patents convertible laptop with wireless charging

Apple MacBook-iPad hybrid
MacBooks with the top down

The MacBook and iPad concepts could come together to form a convertible laptop-tablet hybrid that comes apart, indicates a new Apple patent.

The company's patent for such a computer was published by the U.S. patent office today under the name "wireless display for electronic devices."

Yet Apple mocks convertible laptops

Apple CEO Tim Cook has gone on the record to mock the idea of a MacBook-iPad hybrid.

"Anything can be forced to converge, but the problem is that products are about tradeoffs, and you begin to make tradeoffs to the point where what you have left doesn't please anyone," he told CNET last year.

"You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user."

History also has shown that company files patents all of the time for devices that never make it to the Apple store.

Apple's words matter

This MacBook-iPad hybrid could be an idea that users never see come to fruition, or its implementation of wireless charging could be Apple's way of improving upon what it once mocked just enough to twist its own words.

Most recently, Apple did this by knocking the idea of 7-inch tablets that were deemed too small, and then released the 7.9-inch iPad mini, claiming it to be the perfect size.

Likewise, the company claims that cheaper iPhones will never be its focus, but there's a new iPhone mini rumor popping up every month.

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Matt Swider