Apple transparent trackpad patent suggests clamshell iPhone

Apple has developed a technique that could allow for a smaller iPhone with all the controls but half the size, according to a recent but not yet fully public US Patent Office filing. Described as a “dual sided trackpad,” the primary variant on the invention would have a translucent cover with a capacitive, multi-touch trackpad that accepts input on either side and can activate controls depending on the pad’s position.

The pad could therefore be attached to a small handheld device through a hinge and switch its functionality depending on whether it was open or closed: while a closed trackpad would simply serve as a substitute for the main touchscreen, an open position could provide a separate pad for dialing numbers or an interface for gestures and scrolling. This touchscreen could have its own basic display for these features.
A second iteration of the patent could also apply to computers and would have the dual trackpad replace the conventional, opaque surface on a notebook such as the MacBook Air; while acting as a traditional trackpad when the computer is open, a fully shut notebook would switch input to the outside and use it as an external interactive display for checking e-mail, playing music, and other simple actions, similar to Windows Vista’s SideShow.