Not long ago, Apple announced a number of new patents for Air Pods earphones, one of which has a design that is quite interesting, that is, it is equipped with a touch screen on the earphone charging case, which is similar to the MPS Walkman iPod nano launched by Apple many years ago, when users wear Air Pods to listen to songs, they can directly control the audio playback on the earphone case.
Just listening to me say this,It is estimated that many people's first feedback on Apple's patent is"chicken ribs",Indeed,Many people favor Bluetooth headsets,To a large extent, it lies in the sense of freedom brought by wireless connection,No need to stare at the mobile phone to switch audio and volume,The headphones can be done by simply touching it,Apple is good,It also gives the user a whole headphone box display,What is this not chicken ribs?
What's even more speechless is that before Apple announced this patent, Huaqiangbei's "Air Pots" with display have already flown all over the sky, and it is reported that they are selling quite hot, and it is still difficult to say, Apple and Huaqiangbei, who copied whom......
After two years of sharpening a sword, is the new patent of Air Pots really chicken ribs?
This innovation of Apple's Air Pots,Many people can't understand it,After allAir PodsAs a headphone,The original design intention is to listen to external audio through the connection of multiple devices,Now in terms of this patent,Apple tried to stuff some Apple Watch functions directly into the earphone box of Air Pods,No need to connect a mobile phone or download APP,Through the earphone case of Air Pods,Users can directly control noise cancellation、Customize sound effects,And even answer calls, Check the weather forecast and reply to iMessages.
In addition, the case screen of Air Pods can be used to activate Siri and use voice commands to control music playback, query information, and more. To a certain extent, this can be regarded as improving the user experience and further expanding the application scenarios of Air Pods. However, in the vast majority of cases, my iPhone and Apple Watch are right next to me, do I still need a headphone case to act as a walkie-talkie?
It is reported that Apple's patent on Air Pots has been repeatedly revised for two years, and it has only recently been improved and updated, and the current version is the final draft in April this year, but it is not ruled out that Apple will propose improvements to this patent again in the future. But given Apple's consistent approach to innovation, this Air Pots patent may be far more than just adding a display touchscreen.
Together with Open AI, Apple's new patent brings endless imagination
Not long ago, at Apple's 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple officially announced that it would cooperate with artificial intelligence giant Open AI, and will strive to integrate AI functions and catch up with competitors such as Microsoft and Google. This indicates that Apple, which has lagged behind in the field of AI, will use AI more to empower its own products.
And at this year's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple also specifically mentioned the innovation of Air Pots: Apple will copy the similar gesture function of Apple Watch to the headphones, using the redevelopment of gyroscopes, by nodding or shaking their heads, users can switch audio when they are in a crowded subway, cooking, or simply lazy and don't want to reach out to answer the phone.
The user wears AirPots and nods to answer the phone
Throughout the past history, every time the firmware update of the Air Pods series products will bring some small surprises, and the facts have also proved that the Air Pods are actually moving in a more intelligent and convenient direction, and like Huaqiangbei manufacturers, simply adding a display on the headphone box as an iPhone or Apple Watch function extension, obviously not in line with Apple's current technical path.
Combined with the fact that many AI startups have launched various AI intelligent hardware after connecting to ChatGPT, Apple is likely to take the lead in making a fuss about the Air Pots earphone box, integrating the newly developed AI-specific functions into the Air Pots, bringing users more unexpected intelligent experiences.
At present, there are already handheld large model terminals like Rabbit R1, as well as smart mirrors like Bmind that can detect mental health, and even AI toothbrushes that interact with people through bone conduction such as Oclean are also very popular, and based on the ear, an important sensory organ of the human body, Apple's Air Pots will not be surprising if it launches any creative AI function, as for adding a display to the headphone case, it is just a grass beating rabbit, by the way.
However, Apple has not yet officially launched the new patent for this Air Pots, and what are the specific considerations for Apple's design, everyone may wish to guess.