Tech giant Apple has been looking to diversify by joining the automotive industry, but thus far, things have not been going well. Despite Apple managing to poach human resources from some of the biggest names in the industry and rumors suggesting that the self-driving electric car would arrive in 2025, the last we heard was that the company had hit another roadblock as three key engineers decided to search for greener pastures. As a result of this rollercoaster of reports, it seems more and more likely that the project will never get off the ground. But yesterday, the good people at MotorTrend reported on a new patent that suggests two things: the Apple car is still being worked on and it will come with a unique sunroof.

According to the filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the patent was originally applied for in 2016 before being updated in October 2020. From what we can tell, this sunroof seems to combine an openable sunroof as is currently conventional with a variable-opacity glass window, similar to the Magic Sky technology that Mercedes offers on cars like the Mercedes-Maybach S.

Basically, it appears that Apple wants to combine a glass sunroof with technology that can adjust the darkness of the panel, thus negating the need for a moving shade. Although the concept seems pretty straightforward and appears to be nothing new, it is the first time that variable-opacity technology is being combined with an openable sunroof rather than a fixed panoramic glass roof.

Unfortunately, the patent drawings do not reveal more of the car and it appears that we will still have a long wait ahead of us before we get any inclination of what the production model may look like. Nevertheless, any sort of development on the Apple car is good news for the industry. Apple's brand power will surely help foster a greater sense of competition in the premium segment. But the iPhone maker will certainly need far more than just a trick sunroof to lure buyers away from the Tesla Model S, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Volkswagen ID.4, and other established offerings.