The charging case for your next Apple AirPods Pro could come with a built-in touchscreen in the near future. That is, if the latest Apple rumours are true, indicating the California-based tech giant is beginning to look at completely overhauling the design of the Apple AirPods Pro charging case, including a screen that supports swipes and taps as well as a squeezing motion that immediately activates Siri.
If you’ve been paying attention to consumer technology lately then you’d know that JBL already has a pair of earbuds that come with a charging case that features a touchscreen. The JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds were released earlier this year and are currently retailing in Australia for $329.
Yet Apple seems to be refining the feature for the next version of the Apple AirPods Pro. We already know that a patent application was published last week by the US Patent and Trademark Office, indicating the boost in functionality for the charging case. It’s hard to understand if you haven’t looked at an official patent before but this one was officially filed back in September 2021, expressing the tech giant’s desire to enhance the control a user has over their wireless earbuds.
Nothing has been confirmed in terms of specific functionality. It’s assumed that you’ll be able to use playback controls in a similar way you would on the Apple Watch, controlling associated apps like Apple Music along with easily switching audio sources as well as adjusting volume and toggling between noise cancellation and transparency.
Whether this is just overkill at this point remains to be seen. If Apple is able to include more functionality beyond just the general playback controls you’d get with the Apple Watch then this could potentially be a major way forward for Apple’s AirPods series. This could also have a positive effect on battery life, seeing as functionality isn’t just left to the earbuds themselves.
We’ll keep you updated as more details roll through but just be aware that your next AirPods Pro could look very different in the future.
