The idea of adding screens to AirPods charging cases is still on Apple’s mind. Since the launch of the first AirPods in 2016, charging cases have not simply been small plastic boxes, but rather devices that recharge wireless headphones. However, Apple plans to do even more with these cases, and doesn’t seem willing to abandon the notion of incorporate touch screens.
New patent for AirPods with screen
To date, there have been five versions of charging cases, both wireless and wired, and none have included a screen. The latest model, released in 2023, swapped the Lightning connector for a USB-C, but didn’t add significant new functionality beyond the green/orange charging light.
In early 2024, fake AirPods that included a display became popular. Interestingly, these imitators were based on an old and apparently not abandoned patent by Apple. Now, the Californian company has obtained a new patent for the same ideaunder the heading of “Devices, methods and graphical user interfaces for interactions with a headphone case.”
Apple stops short of criticizing its own AirPods with touch controls, but states that “shortcomings associated with user control of wireless headphones can be reduced or eliminated.” Although the patent is somewhat vague about what those shortcomings are, it suggests that the lack of visual information when swiping an AirPod is a problem.
The patent highlights the benefits of having a touch screen on the case, which would feature a graphical user interface and could used with a pencil or through simple touch gestures. Among the 27 drawings included in the patent, an AirPods case is shown with a play buttonan on-screen volume control, and a music app icon, representing spatial audio.
Case with Siri and storage
One of the drawings shows the phrase “Transfer audio from TV to headphones,” and another presents the case as a standalone portable device for Siri. In this way, Apple sees the potential for the AirPods charging case to become a standalone Siri device. However, what it really proposes is that the case integrates into its ecosystem, allowing the user to control the music on their iPhone or Apple Watch.
It is important to note that the patent mentions storage three times, but always in the context of running an app to manage all these functions, not to store music in the cases. So while a user can skip through a song from their AirPods case, they can probably do it faster from their iPhone or Apple Watch.
Perhaps the certainty that other devices will be present to control the music is the reason why Apple has not implemented this idea yet. If there’s no music playing, there’s nothing to control, which could be why the company hasn’t taken this step until now.
If this concept eventually comes to fruition, we could see a charging case that not only recharges the earbuds but also serves as a multifunctional remote control and a standalone device within the Apple ecosystem.
