Backlit Apple Logo Could Make a Comeback on Future MacBooks - MacRumors

Apple could beryllium considering a instrumentality of the iconic backlit Apple logo connected aboriginal MacBook models, if a recently published patent is thing to spell by.

Once a communal show successful java shops everywhere, the glowing emblem of an Apple logo featured connected the lids of galore Mac laptops launched successful the aboriginal 2000s, but its demise successful 2015 could crook retired to beryllium comparatively short-lived.

Filed by Apple successful May 2022 and published past week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a caller patent summarizes assorted implementations of "Electronic Devices With Backlit Partial Mirror Structures," but the illustrated illustration leaves readers successful small uncertainty astir the circumstantial usage lawsuit Apple has successful mind.

"An physics instrumentality specified arsenic a laptop machine oregon different instrumentality whitethorn person a housing. Components specified arsenic a show and keyboard whitethorn beryllium mounted successful the housing. The rear of the lodging whitethorn beryllium provided with a logo. The logo oregon different structures successful the instrumentality whitethorn beryllium provided with a backlit partially reflective mirror. The reflector whitethorn supply the logo oregon different structures with a shiny quality portion blocking interior components from view. At the aforesaid time, the partial transparency of the reflector allows backlight illumination from wrong the instrumentality to walk done the mirror."

"One oregon much thin-film layers whitethorn beryllium configured to supply the partially reflective reflector with desired disposable airy reflection spectrum, a desired disposable airy transmission spectrum, and a desired disposable airy absorption spectrum. The reflectivity of the reflector whitethorn beryllium configured truthful that the reflector serves arsenic a one-way reflector for the logo oregon different structure. The reflector whitethorn person a neutral colour specified arsenic airy grey oregon whitethorn person a non-neutral colour specified arsenic gold."

Patently Apple, which archetypal highlighted the document, notes that 3 of the engineers listed connected the patent lone joined Apple successful 2018, agelong aft the backlit logo was dropped from Mac laptops, indicating that a antithetic methodology is being described.

The archetypal Mac laptop with a lit-up Apple logo was the third-generation PowerBook G3 launched successful 1999, and the glowing awesome proved a mainstay done consecutive Apple notebooks for the adjacent 16 years. The lone alteration successful that play was that the logo got flipped upright, truthful that it nary longer appeared upside down to onlookers erstwhile idiosyncratic was sat successful nationalist with the lid open.

In 2015, Apple began nixing the illuminated insignia from its laptops, starting with the ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook, which had a polished metallic logo instead, similar those seen connected iPads. In 2016, a caller procreation of MacBook Pro models continued the unlit trend, and Apple hasn't launched a Mac laptop with a glowing logo since.