MacBook users have always lamented over not having mobile connectivity option, and rightly so. Whenever you are on the road, travelling or hitting far-flung destinations, you need to have a stable internet connection, which is, in most of the cases, 4G LTE. MacBook does not have in-built 4G feature. But not anymore! Several sources have reported that the US patent office has given Apple multiple patents that clearly point towards an impending MacBook mobile connectivity feature. One such patent given to Apple is about “isolated cavity antennas” in the MacBook, whereas the other one is about battery power hotspots. These two patents were awarded to Apple by the US patents and trademark office on July, 19.
So how would these things mentioned in the patents work? The basic mechanism will be through housed slots in the devices, which will vibe the connection. These transmissions could support bands anywhere between 2.4GHz and 5 GHz. This means that this technology can support Bluetooth, WAN, LAN and NFC, GPS and 60 GHz communications and long range communications.
Back in 2007, Apple got a patent for clutch based antennas, which shows that the company had given a thought of introducing 4G LTE in MacBooks a decade ago. Apple has also received a patent for “mobile hotspot” whose primary intention is to provide internet connectivity to other devices. This hotspot will work on battery, and could be housed in cylindrical steel or other metal’s body.
There are many methods used by travelers, vagabonds and people who need to move frequently in order to use mobile internet on their MacBooks. One such way is to tether your computer and get online. But these are not permanent solutions. While patents reflect Apple’s intention to move forward towards adding 4G LTE in MacBooks, there is no foreseeable date that could be specified regarding the launch of this feature.