William Gallagher
It's the idea that just won't go away — Apple is again looking at adding screens to AirPods charging cases.
AirPods and AirPods Pro have always come in a case that's more than a holder to stop you losing them. It's not that much more, it specifically only recharges the AirPods, but it is more than a simple plastic container.
Only, Apple has plans to make even more use out of the AirPods charging case and it will not let the idea go. Apple keeps coming back to the notion of putting a touch screen on the case so that users can play, pause, and skip music.
There have been five wireless or wired charging cases since the first in 2016 (a sixth version switched Lightning to USB-C in 2023), and none of them have a screen. None of them have anything except that green/orange charging light.
But early in 2024, AppleInsider investigated fake AirPods that did include a screen. What's more, they were based on an old and presumably uncontested Apple patent.
Now Apple has been granted another patent for the same idea. It's detailed in the newly-revealed patent, "Devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for interactions with a headphone case."
Apple doesn't go so far as to criticize its own AirPods with touch-sensitive controls. However, it does claim that "deficiencies associated with user control of wireless headphones [can be] reduced or eliminated."
The patent is actually a little vague about what those deficiencies are, but after stating that there are some, it does mention how they are used. It implies that not being able to see any visual information when, for instance, swiping on a AirPod, is an issue.
Then it extols the benefits of having a touch-sensitive display on a case. It says that such a display would have a graphical user interface, and be used with a stylus or by simple touch gestures.
Apple's patent includes 27 drawings with the most minuscule differences. They show an AirPods case with a Play button, an on-screen volume control, and a Music app icon meant to represent spatial audio.
There is one drawing that has the display showing the words "Transfer TV Audio to Headphones." And it also has one in which the display is being used as a separate, portable, Siri device.
Conceivably, then, Apple is even seeing the potential in the AirPods charging case to create a standalone Siri device. But what it's really doing is using the case to plug into its whole ecosystem, allowing the user to control music on their iPhone or Apple Watch.
That part is key, though. The patent does make three references to storage, but they are all regarding the running of an application to drive all of this. They are not about space to store music in the cases.
So any time a user could go to their AirPods charging case to skip a track, they could already do it faster on their iPhone. Or their Apple Watch.
Maybe it's this certainty that other devices will be around — if there's nothing playing music, there's no music to control — is why Apple hasn't implemented this yet.
This patent is credited to three inventors, including Darius A. Satongar. He works in Interaction Architecture for Apple, and has previously been credited on research for enhancing MacBook Pro audio.
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
5 Comments
The return of the iPod in the case of an AirPod
A simple stats display would be nice. Power stats, pairing, etc.
Deciphering blinking LED sequences and colors isn't exactly intuitive.
It could be one of those low power black and white displays that some cameras have, like the Nikon Z5.
Unless you're turning the case into an iPod I don't see the point. Further, a touch screen means that you're going to have to pull it out and look at it in order to use it. Physical buttons would allow at least allow control while it's in your pocket and be somewhat less likely to be accidentally triggered.
“So any time a user could go to their AirPods charging case to skip a track, they could already do it faster on their iPhone. Or their Apple Watch.“
I don’t see what controls are needed on the case since, as you mentioned, everything can be done from an iPhone or an Apple Watch. Unless they make an AirPods case with cellular connection . . . :o
or on the AirPods themselves - a double squeeze.
or maybe it's just a patent.