Apple is developing a new type of keyboard for future MacBooks that replaces traditional plastic keys with aluminum keycaps capable of displaying dynamic characters. This new keyboard design uses mini-LED backlighting to illuminate different symbols, letters, or layouts directly on the key surface, offering a customizable typing experience without sacrificing the feel of physical keys.
Physical Keyboard With Dynamic Display
The design looks similar to a standard keyboard at first glance, but under the surface, it’s built entirely differently. Each key is made from perforated aluminum and lacks visible markings when the device is off. Once powered on, LEDs beneath each key project glyphs through the surface, creating a context-sensitive layout. The result is a seamless, backlit interface that avoids light bleeding and preserves the aesthetic uniformity of the MacBook’s all-aluminum chassis.
Apple recently filed a patent for this design. While not all patents lead to shipping products, the detailed nature of this filing suggests Apple is seriously exploring the idea.
Familiar Feel, Smarter Functionality
Unlike touchscreen keyboards or high-resolution OLED key displays, Apple’s approach focuses on simplicity. Each key functions like a low-resolution 8-bit display, showing characters clearly without adding visual clutter or complexity. The keys retain the familiar scissor-switch mechanism, so typing remains tactile and precise — just like on current MacBook models.
Apple previously used aluminum keycaps on the PowerBook G4, but they featured permanent labels. This concept reintroduces the material with dynamic visual capability, enabling the same physical keys to switch between QWERTY, AZERTY, emoji inputs, or other layouts depending on what you’re doing.
This would mark a notable shift in how keyboards are integrated into MacBooks — not just in form, but in function. With this technology, Apple aims to bridge the gap between the flexibility of on-screen keyboards and the reliability of hardware keys, while maintaining the signature aluminum design language of its laptops.