Apple has an exciting patent to turn AirPods into iPods

Apple patent turns AirPods box into an iPod.

Apple has a rather brilliant sounding patent for a gadget that brings back the best of the iPod and combines this with what’s great about AirPods and Apple Music to give you all the music in the world in the palm of your hand.

Like a little iPod shuffle

The patent describes what happens when you put a touchscreen control display inside an AirPods case. The big idea being that you could control music playback using the case while listening to the tracks on your AirPods.

It means you can leave your iPhone in your pocket and still get access to the music audiobook or soundtracks that you need. (Or leave the phone behind if using an Apple Watch for source).

The patent was filed September 21 and published in late March by the US Patent and Trademark office.

What the patent said

“The utility of a headphone case can be enhanced, and user control over a user’s wireless headphones can be improved, by configuring a headphone case with an interactive user interface to enable user control of operations associated with the wireless headphones,” the patent said.

“We’re thrilled to see so many customers enjoying AirPods. It reminds me of the early days of iPod when I started noticing white earbuds everywhere I went,” said Cook.

It goes on to describe all the playback controls you’d expect from this gadget, including the ability to change audio sources. The patent talks about tactile feedback from the case as you control your music, gesture control and systems of taps and swipes to control playback. It even discusses one idea in which squeezing the case could switch your AirPods between listening modes.

The patent also describes a system with proximity sensors, so it will work with an iPhone, iPad, HomePod, Mac, or other compatible systems. Apple has also thought about providing interactive access to iPhone apps via the screen, including Phone, Mail, Messages, Camera, and more.

[Also read: 6 Apple Prototypes That Never Shipped]

A patent does not a product make, of course, and this particular gadget still seems reliant on an iPhone rather than acting as a mini music player in its own right, though it isn’t terribly hard to imagine a little solid-state memory in the device to enable music listening when offline or away from your smartphone.

1,000 songs in your pocket, 100 million online

I can’t help but imagine Apple could reprise the line “1,000 songs in your pocket,” with such a thing while also pointing out that 100 million more are available on Apple Music).

They could even call it the AirPods Shuffle. They’ll sell like hot cakes, I think. The patent feels like an inevitable combination with roots back to the iPod and how it transformed Apple’s fortunes on release almost 23-years ago. Something about the patent makes sense to me.

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