Alex Stelmaszczyk
Apple has filed a patent for a future AirPods case with a built-in touchscreen display that would allow users to control audio sources and interact with apps associated with the connected device. The patent describes a capacitive touchscreen with a GUI to control Apple Music, adjust volume, favorite songs, and interact with on-screen content through taps and swipes. It also suggests using specific gestures such as squeezing the case to change the listening mode of the AirPods. The case could also include additional processors and memory modules that would allow it to carry out specific instructions traditionally associated with smartphones, computers, and other connected devices. Apple has been working to enhance the functionality of the AirPods case since its launch in 2016, and the patent offers an interesting look at how the company is exploring ways to make it a more functional intermediary between the AirPods and the connected audio source.
I wanna be the first one to say this: I hate this so much. Apple always does this bullshit and I am so sick of it. This is their formula to screw their consumer base. They come out with new unnecessary technology and raise the price of a product that already works well, and the consumer base becomes insecure that their existing product isn’t new so they buy it and spend unnecessary money. I can already see myself buying this stupid AirPod case with the touchscreen because I don’t wanna be bullied for being broke. I literally bought the newest iPhone because I didn’t want the notch at the top, I wanted the floating pill. Also, can someone explain the difference between this rumored AirPod case and the ancient iPod Nano with a touchscreen?
1. Why do you care if other people spend their own “unnecessary money?”
2. Why do you care if other people think you’re broke?
3. If the new technology is “unnecessary,” why do you care so much about the floating pill?
Question 2 is probably the most important. Sure, “don’t be as insecure” is easier said than done, but if your insecurity is costing you hundreds of dollars every time it’s maybe time to evaluate it. Neither Apple nor other people are forcing you to buy the newest product every time. Yes, planned obsolescence is a thing, but that’s longer term. I just got an iPhone 14 because my iPhone 7 stopped working. No, that wasn’t a typo. If you *want* the newest thing just because it’s the newest thing, hey, do you. But only you can make yourself feel like you *need* it.
4. The case also holds your AirPods, which the Nano couldn’t do. Unlike the Nano, though, it wouldn’t store music on its own, just control a connected device. The interface looks similar, and the benefit of not needing to take your phone out of your pocket is tempered by still needing to take the case out of your pocket. That’s why, even though it might eventually be the newest thing, I probably won’t be buying it. Because that’s an option.