Do AirPods Need Their Own Touchscreen?

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For some time, Apple fans have debated what new features could be coming to Apple’s AirPods. Of course, the most talked about overall sound or battery life improvements. Those are some of the most critical features, after all. However, the whole development could go several steps further to Apple AirPods with a touchscreen. According to newly available information, Apple is completely redesigning the charging case. Apple already registered a rather exciting patent in September 2021, which was only recently published.

It subsequently describes and illustrates a redesigned charging case. The front of which is then adorned with a touchscreen designed to control headphones, playback and other options.

It’s no wonder, then, that this news has attracted a fair amount of attention. But this brings us to a very fundamental question. However, such an improvement looks quite interesting, whether we need it.

What Apple AirPods with display will offer

Before moving on to the previous question, let’s quickly recap what the display could be used for. Apple describes several possible scenarios right in the text of the patent. For example, it could control Apple Music playback, which a tap response would complement.

Without pulling out their phone, Apple users could control the entire playback, from the volume to individual tracks to activating active sound suppression or pass-through modes. Support for Siri activation could come as well.

Do Apple AirPods need a touchscreen?

Now for the most important part. As we mentioned above, at first glance, this is a perfect improvement that will noticeably expand the overall capabilities of Apple’s wireless headphones. However, such an expansion needs to be clarified in the final analysis.

We don’t usually take out the charging case as such and keep it hidden, mostly in our pocket, where the iPhone is also located. In this respect, we encounter a very fundamental problem. Why should an Apple user reach for the AirPods charging case and then manage his affairs through its smaller display when he can just as quickly pull out the phone, which is a much more convenient solution? In practice, AirPods with their own touchscreen are not so helpful anymore—quite the contrary.

In the end, this may be a more or less useless improvement that will not find its use among Apple users. Finally, however, it may turn out exactly the opposite – when such a change becomes hugely popular. However, Apple would have to make even more changes in that case. Apple fans, for example, would love to see Apple add data storage to the subject as well.

AirPods could thus become a multimedia player in some form, similar to the iPod, that could function independently of the iPhone. Athletes, for example, might appreciate this. They could do without their phone completely during workouts or training sessions and make do with headphones. How do you feel about such a potential innovation?

But first, Apple should sweep its doorstep

Suppose Apple has been pilloried for anything about AirPods for a long time. In that case, it’s undoubtedly the process of updating their firmware. This is because it’s fully automated, which may seem like a great idea at first glance, but only until one realises that some users are having their firmware installed with a long delay after release because of this and are thus unnecessarily deprived of all sorts of optimisations and such.

However, instead of Apple solving the whole issue by, for example, adding the Update Center to the iPhone’s settings, here’s one rather snide piece of advice on its part. Along with the overnight release of new firmware for AirPods, Apple has updated the support document with snide advice about the update process.

The paper now tells you that if your AirPods don’t work, for example, because you don’t have an Apple device near you to update, you can visit an Apple Store or one of Apple’s authorised service centres to help you update.

Apple’s idea is, of course, a good one, as it’s clear that its technicians can surely start the update process through their tools, but the idea of going to a service centre or Apple Store to update your headphones is intriguing. We’re hopeful that Apple will wise up and deploy some update centres in the future to better work with firmware.

New Apple AirPods firmware is out

Apple released new firmware (11.4.2023 – release date) for its AirPods headphones. This one is available specifically for AirPods 2, 3, Pro, 2nd Generation Pro, and Max, bearing the 5E133 designation and overwriting the existing 5B59 on the headphones. Unfortunately, the designation is also the only thing we know about the firmware, and that’s a shame. Anyway, more or less as in previous weeks. Apple may be the overachiever regarding updates, but that’s not true with AirPods.

The update process is automated, which may look great at first glance. Still, at second glance, you’ll soon realise you have no control over the installation. If the firmware brings a new feature or fix, you can’t influence the building as you do on an iPhone or Mac. So it’s common for some users to have AirPods firmware installed weeks after release, even though it meets all of Apple’s requirements for a seamless installation.

Release notes are still missing

The other catch to installing firmware is that Apple needs to disclose exactly what the update brings. When it commits to publishing the information, it usually does so well in advance, so installing the firmware is ultimately not very motivating. It is also in Apple’s interest to install firmware as quickly as possible, as it usually improves the product’s functionality and is good publicity for Apple.

But something different than that is happening. Ironically enough, the solution to these problems would be to create a simple update centre in the iPhone’s settings, along the lines of HomePods in Home, for example, that would allow you to manually download and start installing the firmware, ideally, learn about it and exactly what it brings.

After all, Apple has simplified beta system installation radically, so it is clear that it is not afraid of changing the established rules. It’s a pity that we are still waiting for the update centre for AirPods and AirTags, and so on. Instead, Apple prefers to write in the support document that if you have a problem with the update, stop by an Apple Store or authorised service centre.

Final thoughts

JBL burned the imaginary pond in this direction with its Tour Pro 2 headphones, similar to the Apple concept. We can only hope that JBL can get away with this without a patent dispute because their products are exciting and significantly more affordable than Apple’s.

Image references:

https://patentlyapple.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c02b7519da181200c-pi

https://milled.com/jbl-com/new-jbl-tour-pro-2-and-tour-one-m2-MhJUUo0PeHVw5rng