AirPods were a revolution, so much so that today it is rare for a person to have an iPhone and not AirPods as headphones. With a wide range and prices that have recently reached historic lowsMany are already thinking about the arrival date of the AirPods 4 or even the AirPods Pro 3. One of the supports that can be used to know what these next AirPods will look like are the patents presented by Apple.
And a patent is an official document from the Cupertino company that records exact and detailed features. In recent years, Apple has been record different technologies and we want to see them again to dream of perfect AirPods. Spoiler: some patents are really crazy.
AirPods Case with Touch Screen
We start with the first patent presented by Apple in 2023. It shows how the AirPods Pro could become a “mini iPod”. On your screen, you could control song progress, increase and decrease volume…According to the patents, there would also be some functions and widgets, such as weather or an Apple TV remote. It would almost be like having the reading functions of the Apple Watch, but directly in the AirPods case.
Volume control through head movements and gestures
This patent has become partly a reality with the new AirPods arriving with iOS 18. And in a very short time, we will be able to answer calls by nodding or not answer it by shaking your head “no.” The patent also added volume controls, which have not yet arrived. But it’s a good example that patents can become a reality.
Bone conduction sound on AirPods Max
The AirPods Max haven’t been updated in many years, and while we wait for the AirPods Max 2, Apple has filed several patents. One of them was filed in November 2022 and involves adding bone conduction transducers to improve both privacy and audio functionality. The Bone conduction sends sound through vibrations directly to our skullso we can listen to music without people around us hearing it.
Safety features for AirPods Pro
A patent also from 2022 describes how the AirPods Pro can detect surrounding objects and analyze the speed at which we are moving. In this way, If it detects danger, it will pause the music or it would lower the volume to alert us. The patent presents an intelligent system that would be integrated into walking or running applications and thus increase safety when going out to do sport in an urban environment.
A sleep mask with AirPods
This is one of the craziest patents Apple has ever filed. The concept would be a mask that would cover the eyes and connect to AirPods to monitor eye and brain activity. This would allow best sleep tracking. Apple is considering integrating it into the Mindfulness app to help you relax and sleep better, in a combination of darkness and programmed sounds. The fabric, in fact, could provide soft lights. It would be like a kind of Apple Vision Pro, but in a much thinner, lighter version and with some mini-LEDs under the fabric.
AirPods case could reportedly charge Apple Watch
Something similar happens with the Apple Watch charger, which lets you charge AirPods. The Apple patent imagines that you can Place Apple Watch on the AirPods case to start charging. A kind of reverse charging for those “emergency” situations where you need a battery in your Apple Watch.
Replaceable AirPods Mesh
While cleaning AirPods is relatively simple, Apple is considering a few solutions to address this. make hygiene and wearing even easier for us. Already with the AirPods Max, there are meshes with magnets that make them easy to replace. An Apple patent from April 2021 also tries to bring it to the smaller AirPods, thus covering the speakers.
AirPods that can read minds
Yes, this sounds like science fiction. A July 2023 patent specifies that AirPods would have electrodes for capture signals, including electroencephalographyelectromyography and electrooculography. With these technologies, they could measure brain signals to analyze stress levels.
Bruxism Monitoring with AirPods
Another health-related patent, in this case dental. In 2022, Apple made AirPods capable of monitor teeth grindingknown as bruxism. This condition is related to stress and, if left untreated, could lead to serious dental problems and headaches.
The AirPods’ motion sensors would detect the small movement of the jaw and alert us via the Health app. our tendency to bruxism. Without a doubt one of the features that would have the greatest impact on society in general.
EarID: an ear identifier for AirPods
At Apple, we have Touch ID, Face ID and Optic ID technologies. An additional patent would allow the analysis of the internal morphology of our ear to recognize ourselves. Something similar already happens with the adaptive equalizer, but in this case it would be about authenticating the user and, in case of theft, not allowing the use of the AirPods.
Integrated cameras for better spatial sound
A recent patent would add cameras to AirPods to improve spatial audio and even make gestures without having to touch them. The cameras would identify where we are, as a kind of spatial positioning, in order to adjust the sound of the movies and music we listen to.
The new AirPods 4 models could be presented this year, while the AirPods Pro 3 could be extended until 2025. On the other hand, the AirPods Max are the ones that need a renewal the most, but being a lower priority product, their launch date is uncertain between the end of this year and all of 2025.
Cover Image | Apple Center
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