Apple may be developing a new case for AirPods that will house a touchscreen. This miniature screen could offer a large number of functions related to media consumption and much more.
According to Patently Apple, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved a patent application from the Cupertino-based tech giant that could redesign the case of the AirPods Pro. Indeed, Apple has filed a patent application for an AirPods Pro case like no other, since it has a screen.
The patent is titled “Graphical UI devices, methods, and interactions with an earphone case” and explains, among other things, how the case used to charge AirPods can be made more useful. In its patent, Apple describes how the case of its wireless headphones could integrate a small touch screen to perform certain commands.
A SCREEN ON THE CASE OF AIRPODS, WHAT FOR?
According to Apple, a screen on the box of AirPods could totally change the use of headphones, and especially simplify it. “The ease of use of a headphone case can be improved and the user’s control over wireless headphones can be strengthened,” the patent describes.
Apple states that this would be possible “by configuring a headset case with an interactive user interface that allows the user to control the operations associated with the wireless headphones“. For example, start playing music, changing audio output mode, etc.
The headset case thus comprises a graphical user interface, one or more processors, memory, and one or more modules or sets of instructions for performing multiple functions. The user can interact with the GUI mainly through contacts and finger gestures on the touch surface or with an Apple Pencil. Tactile feedback would also be part of the game, to make the experience even more premium.
As with any patent filed, the technology he describes probably won’t make it to a product anytime soon, if at all, but it offers an interesting glimpse into how Apple is exploring ways to make the AirPods case a functional middleman between the AirPods themselves and the connected audio source. For now, Apple is reportedly preparing to launch AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C port, to go hand in hand with the iPhone 15.