What if an iPhone could replace the traditional trackpad on a MacBook Pro, or an iPad could dock and become a laptop screen, Apple has patented a host computer that could do both.

The patent, reported by AppleInsider, details an "electronic accessory device" that would allow future iOS products to be part of a larger hardware system to "extend the capabilities of a portable computing device."

In U.S. Patent No. 10,545,542, Apple states that "[t]he appearance of a portable computing device, including its design and weight, is important to the user.

One of the sketches accompanying the patent shows a MacBook Pro-like computer with an iPhone slot instead of a trackpad. Another variation shows the same shell accessory, but with an iPad housed where the MacBook Pro's display is.

Apple predicts that this patented accessory will not work as a stand-alone computer and will require a host to operate.

"The host device can be a portable computing device, such as a smartphone, media player, tablet computer, or other portable computing device," the patent reads.

The iPad version of this gadget sounds a bit like a pretentious keyboard case, but I'd like to see how it would work on an iPhone; it looks like the iPhone's touch screen would act as a trackpad, but the display could be mirrored to create a large screen as well?

Brett Dengar is listed as the inventor of this device. He is credited with many of Apple's patents, including the Star Trek-like curved iMac display.

Apple is constantly patenting variations of its devices, but few see the light of day. For example, the Apple Watch with a camera on a wristband or the foldable iPhone. In other words, it is unlikely that this iPad and iPhone enclosure device will be announced along with the iPhone 12 or the upcoming iPad Pro.