Ever since Apple silicon elevated the MacBook lineup from just pretty laptops to actually very powerful ones they have become a fan favorite of the industry. Since then the MacBook has seen marginal performance upgrades each year but Apple is now considering improving another aspect of its laptops: the lids.
The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro make use of magnets in their lids to detect when it is closed or open and to keep it closed securely when it’s the former. Apple has filed a patent that alleges that these magnets produce stray magnetic fields even when not in use. The company says that these magnetic fields have the potential to damage nearby items and cited credit cards as possible victims.
Apple then goes on to describe a new magnetic system that it wants to develop for its MacBook lineup. The new proposed magnetic array will in essence be an electromagnetic system. Apple says that the magnets can be, in very simple terms, switched on or off depending on whether they are needed at the moment.
The biggest benefit seems to be that the magnetic array won’t produce stray magnetic fields when the MacBook lid is open. Apple may also be able to incorporate much stronger magnets to more reliably keep the lid closed without fear of damaging nearby items when the lid is open.
Many people who switch from a Windows laptop to a MacBook often mention how much more premium the latter feels. And while more expensive Windows laptops obviously feel more premium too, Apple has a reputation for classy products that it tries very hard to keep. As such the new proposed magnetic array could, in my opinion, give that reputation another slight boost.
This is just a patent for now but it’s definitely a lot more easily achievable than so many of the more fantastical patents we see every day.
