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It all started because I wanted a better keyboard for my iPhone. I had no idea that, in looking for one, I’d accidentally create the hybrid Apple computer of my dreams.[1]
After Apple announced Apple Intelligence with ‘New Siri’, and redesigned ‘Type to Siri’, I sought out an attachable keyboard for my iPhone. The promised AI features didn’t materialize and I was left wondering what else I could use this mini keyboard for…
Contents
Naked Robotic Core
How did I get from a mini keyboard to a MacPhone? I found a problem space, started with a core principle, followed a few rules and evolved the forms from those; a device neither a phone nor a laptop, based on a ‘naked robotic core’[2], adhering to the rules of computing happiness (use a Mac and buy a portable computer) step 2. ???? step 3. MacPhone!
A MacPhone is NOT an iPad but it faces the same question i.e. what’s it far better at than a MacBook or an iPhone?
The Best Computer
Apple made a Mac that fits in the palm of your hand and… it’s a desktop. Even a Macworld reviewer choosing between a Mac mini and Mac Studio receives the nerd recommendation to ‘just buy a MacBook’! Why Apple’s entry-level Mac when the MacBook Neo now exists? The Mac mini fits in the palm of your hand – it’s shorter in length than Apple’s portable devices…
| Device | Length (") | Width (") | Thickness (") |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac mini | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| iPhone 13 mini | 5.18 | 2.53 | |
| iPhone 17 | 5.89 | 2.81 | |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 6.43 | 3.07 | |
| iPad mini | 7.69 | 5.3 | |
| iPad | 9.79 | 7.07 | |
| iPad Pro 13 | 11.09 | 8.4 | |
| MacBook Neo | 11.71 | 8.12 | |
| MacBook Air 13 | 11.97 | 8.46 | |
| MacBook Pro 16 | 14.01 | 9.77 | |
| Infinite Jest * | 9.55 | 6.55 | 2.25 |
*hardcover[3]
it’s smaller than many books[4] – and it’s a desktop naked robotic core[5]:
Meme the mantra with me, the best computer is the one that’s with you. If the MacPhone is mini enough to use while in line at the coffee shop then it’s better than a MacBook.
Common Sense
Apple made a Mac that can be used in the palm of your hand… it’s an iPhone. Even me, recommending between the MacPhone or an iPad, would suggest ‘just buy an iPhone’. Why the MacPhone when iPhone exists? The MacPhone mini keyboard fits in the palm of your hand – it’s smaller than Apple’s phones…
| Device | Length (") | Width (") | Screen Size (") |
|---|---|---|---|
| mini keyboard | 2 | 2.8 | ∞ |
| iPhone 4 | 4.50 | 2.31 | 3.5 |
| iPhone 5 | 4.87 | 2.31 | 4.0 |
| iPhone 6 | 5.44 | 2.64 | 4.7 |
| iPhone X | 5.65 | 2.79 | 5.8 |
| iPhone 13 mini | 5.18 | 2.53 | 5.4 |
| iPhone 15 | 5.81 | 2.82 | 6.1 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 5.89 | 2.81 | 6.3 |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 6.43 | 3.07 | 6.9 |
| iPhone 20 * | ? | ? | ? |
And it can be used with one thumb – irrespective of screen size.
It’s common sense. If the MacPhone is easier to use while holding a cup of coffee then it’s better than an iPhone.
BYODKM
BYODKM: slogan. Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard and Mouse
BYOB: bad acronym. Bring Your Own Battery
-
Display (Wisecoco 6" Portable Monitor 2K Display with Built-in Battery)
-
Keyboard + Trackpad (ZitaoTech P9981 Pro ZMK BLE&USB Keyboard)
-
Power Inverter and Battery (VoltFun MiniPal 1[6] and INIU P62 20000mAh 65W USBC Power Bank)
Put them all together and your Macintosh evolves into a Macinhand.
MacPhone
Macinhand: Display, Keyboard, Mouse, Battery.
iPhone: display, virtual keyboard/mouse (touchscreen), battery, cameras, cellular, GPS, microphone etc[7]
MacPhone (1984): “it’s Strange: It’s a telephone that straps onto the side of your Macintosh”
MacPhone (2026): it’s strange; it’s an iPhone that straps onto the side of your Macinhand.
Every non-obsolete iPhone is longer than a Mac mini and, attached, it doesn’t quite fit in hand. Of course you don’t need to have a Mac in hand while using it – you could put the Mac in a pocket.
Take them apart and your Macinhand evolves into a MacPhone.
And then might as well add a phone (virtual) keyboard/mouse and a phone display.[8]
Magic Mac
Macinhand : one-hand keyboard+mouse ::
MacPhone : iPhone ::
Magic Mac : Magic Trackpad
The Magic Trackpad, Apple’s nicest input device for Macs[9], is longer and wider than a Mac mini and, attached, doesn’t quite fit in a pocket. Of course you don’t need to keep a MacPhone in a pocket to carry it – you could wear it (a trend Apple latched onto last year by releasing the iPhone cross-body strap).
Strap them together and your MacPhone evolves into a Magic Mac.
And then might as well add a wearable (voice) keyboard and a wearable display[10].
The Future Is Unfolding
Macinhand, MacPhone and Magic Mac - how much further will the evolution go? Who can say what the future holds if even Apple accedes and the next iPhone folds?[11]
The rumours about the hardware have solidified; the iPhone Fold/Ultra (sp?) will be the first iPhone in over a decade shorter than 5” and small enough to be used with one thumb. The rumours about the software are still up in the air; will it support Sidecar for the Mac and, with enabled touchscreen support in MacOS, could BYODKM for a Mac be encapsulated by an unfolding iPhone?
It’s a new day at Apple[12]. This isn’t me shooting my shot[13]; Apple won’t make a MacPhone[14] in any of these grotesque forms. Yet I’m compelled to pose the questions: what is the future of iPadOS Post–MacBook Neo? What is the future of iOS when the iPhone can just be an app on a Mac that’s always with you? The Mac was once the hub of our digital lives and I hope it can be that again.
The Mac mini lives large.[] The MacPhone lives at large...