Apple files patent for iPad with integrated pencil

Apple is continuously improving the design of its Apple Pencil, but they can be prone to getting lost. That’s why this new iPad design patent makes a huge amount of sense.

At 5.1mm, Apple’s latest iPad Pro is seriously thin. The company says these iPads are its thinnest devices ever; we agree that there is little scope to trim it further.

A new patent spotted by David Kowalski (via thenerdstash) suggests that Apple is looking for ways to hide the Apple Pencil within the body of an iPad.

The patent document shows the iPad with a retractable tray-like design, which will house the stylus and charge it. This also means that the iPad, when storing the Pencil, will be slightly thicker than usual, especially on the sides.

However, the “same mechanism can transition to a lower profile while not retaining the stylus (e.g., while the stylus is in use as an input device for the host device),” says the patent.

Xleaks/Thenerdstash

This spring-loaded mechanical design could help users easily carry the Apple Pencil along with the iPad without fear of losing it or forgetting it at a cafe. This housing could also help protect the Pencil from scratches and smudges.

The patent also says that the retractable tray will have multiple arrays of magnets to keep the stylus in place and charge the Pencil when appropriately aligned. 

OnePlus

This is not the first time a brand has tried retractable parts in its gadgets. We’ve had numerous Android phones with a retractable selfie camera, offering a notch-less display at the front. However, this experiment soon phased out as implementing movable parts in a handheld device compromised its durability and increased costs.

That said, since this is at a patent stage, there is no guarantee that we’ll see Apple implementing such a complex mechanism to house the Apple Pencil.