With the next Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just a few months away, the public is expecting Apple to launch its latest collection of hardware, including the next-generation of MacBook laptops. There are no confirmed reports yet about the high-level MacBook Pro model, although it is easy to assume that a design refresh is just in the corner. Recent leaks suggest that the MacBook Pro 2018 could introduce significant changes in the keyboard panel, with one patent showing the keyboard completely replaced by a touch-sensitive screen.
The latest patent leak brought by Patently Apple reveals that the MacBook Pro 2018 will undergo a major overhaul, similar to what happened to the Cupertino-based tech giant's iPhone lineup last year. A patent submitted by Apple not too long ago shows a MacBook Pro sporting a dual organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Aside from the primary OLED screen display, the secondary OLED panel will serve as the replacement for the physical keyboard and trackpad.
If this idea from Apple turns out to be a reality, the MacBook Pro 2018 will not only introduce a breakthrough in the company's Mac series, but also in the laptop market. While the total removal of the keyboard in exchange for an OLED touchscreen in the MacBook Pro 2018 is quite bold and sudden, Apple has already begun introducing a more radical design starting with 2016's Mac Pro. The said laptop model featured the Touch Bar, which replaced the function keys.
Meanwhile, another patent for the next MacBook Pro model also shows a major change happening in the keyboard. As reported by Forbes, the MacBook Pro 2018 could receive improvements in the keyboard design to prevent tiny particles such as dust and crumbs from getting under the keys. These particles going inside the laptop's inner layer could pose serious issues, especially when a tiny speck managed to penetrate into the delicate wirings. With this, the patent suggests that a butterfly keyboard assembly might just be the answer to this problem, and the MacBook Pro 2018 could be the first laptop model to use this setup.
The MacBook Pro 2018, along with the other entry-level MacBook models, is expected to be showcased in San Jose, California at the WWDC 2018, which will run from June 4 to 8.
