On March 02, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple has updated one of their coolest inventions to date: An All Glass iMac." While the all-glass iMac design is definitely a superior form factor that could shake up the all-in-one doldrums, the U.S. Patent Office published an update to another iMac invention this week that perhaps retains the classic iMac design while providing major updates that could excite some Apple fans.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates a low profile iMac design where the stand is not seen. Apple's patent FIGS. 26, 27, 28, 29, 41 and 42 illustrate a couple of ways that a carrying handle could be bult into an iMac to make it easily transportable.\

Apple's patent FIG. 9 below illustrates a new stand that support recharging an Apple Watch, iPhone and even an iPad via a slide in slot; FIGS. 20A-B illustrate an iMac being given a secondary hinge to allow the display to tilt back for artists. That indirectly would translate to the display being a  touch display. It would be a feature to match Microsoft's Surface Studio desktop.

Would this mean that Apple would be copying Microsoft? No, not in this case. Patently Apple first covered this originating concept back in 2010 or 14 years ago. Microsoft brought it to market first, while Apple filed a patent for this feature in 2010.

Apple's patent FIG. 40 above points to a new hinge that would allow for the iMac's display to pivot left or right.

Once again, this iMac design is not as sexy as the all-glass form factor but provides more practical features such a touch display that could tils back for artists using an Apple Pencil, could pivot left or right when in the upright position and easier to transport an iMac with a handy built-in handle. The handle, according to Apple, would use a deformable material comprises an elastomeric material.

Apple's updated patent was published on March 07, 2024. Apple added 20 new patent claims broken down into three categories: 1) A device stand system; (2) A Pivot Mechanism; and (3) The Device Mounting System.

Claim 1: A device stand system, comprising: an electronic device housing; a stand to support the electronic device housing on a support surface, the stand having a stand lateral width; and a pivot mechanism mounting the electronic device housing to the stand and facilitating pivoting of the electronic device housing relative to the stand, the pivot mechanism comprising: a first pivot plate mounted to the electronic device housing and having a first pivot plate lateral width less than the stand lateral width; a second pivot plate mounted to the stand and having a second pivot plate lateral width less than the stand lateral width; and a pivot cylinder pivotally mounting the first pivot plate to the second pivot plate.

Claim 2: The device stand system of claim 1, wherein the pivot cylinder is spaced away from the stand by a gap between a top surface of the stand and a stand-facing surface of the pivot cylinder.

Claim 6: A pivot mechanism, comprising: a stand having a top surface; a first pivot plate configured to mount to an electronic device housing; a second pivot plate mounted to the stand; and a pivot cylinder pivotally mounting the first pivot plate and the second pivot plate together, the pivot cylinder having a stand-facing surface; wherein the pivot cylinder and the stand define a gap between the top surface of the stand and the stand-facing surface of the pivot cylinder.

Claim 11: A device mounting system, comprising: an electronic device housing having a rear surface; a plate mounted to the rear surface of the electronic device housing; a pivot cylinder mounted to the plate; and a handle pivotally coupled to the pivot cylinder at opposite ends of the pivot cylinder.

To review full details including 16 more patent claims, review Apple's patent application 20240081009.

Apple's engineering teams have worked on other possible future features. In 2018, we covered a patent application from Apple that promoted the idea of adding a 'Portrait Mode' to an iMac Display as presented below.