A new patent awarded to Apple suggests the largest tech company in the world is considering a hybrid future and a desktop interface for its iPads.

As Patently Apple reports, Apple has been awarded patent no. 11,320,869 this week, which describes a "Hinged keyboard accessory having multiple installation modes for a tablet computing device." The accessory effectively adds the lower half of a MacBook to the iPad, turning it into a hybrid laptop.

Images included with the patent filing reveal that inserting an iPad into the accessory wouldn't just allow access to a keyboard for typing and a touch pad for navigation. Apple would also switch from the iPadOS interface to a macOS-like UI instead. That could mean future iPad models have a version of macOS available to load when a supported keyboard is detected.

While it's very unlikely Apple would want to replace MacBooks and iPads with a single hybrid device, offering iPad owners a better user interface when docked makes a lot of sense. Add to that the performance of Apple's M series processors, and quickly switching the iPad operating system for work better-suited to the laptop form factor would be a well-received new feature.