These Apple AirPods Seem… Impossible?

Dave2D
5 Apr 202408:11

Summary

TLDRThe video discusses a pre-release mockup of an AirPod Pro case with a touchscreen, sent by a company with a reliable track record. The host expresses skepticism about its existence due to the many questions it raises, but acknowledges Apple's tendency to innovate. The touchscreen offers audio controls, ANC, transparency mode, EQ, and a 'Find My Buds' feature. Despite its functionality, the host questions the practicality and potential high cost of such a device, considering Apple's history with incorporating screens into their products. The video ends with a speculative scenario where future AirPods Pro might only come with a screened case, increasing the price and offering Apple a higher profit margin.

Takeaways

  • 📦 A mysterious 'AirPod-looking' device with a touchscreen on the case was received, supposedly an upcoming AirPod Pro case.
  • 🔍 The company that sent the device has a history of providing accurate pre-release mockups of hardware.
  • 🤔 Initial skepticism about the legitimacy of the device due to the unconventional addition of a touchscreen to an AirPod case.
  • 📄 Apple filed a patent in 2022 for a case with a touchscreen for AirPods, indicating potential development of such a product.
  • 🚫 Most Apple patents do not result in actual products, and are often for experimental or exploratory purposes.
  • 📱 The touchscreen on the mockup allows for audio controls, volume adjustments, ANC and transparency mode, and EQ settings.
  • 🎵 The device functions as a controller for an external audio source like a phone or computer, not as a standalone media player.
  • 💡 The addition of a screen makes the case more expensive, heavier, and requires a larger battery to power the new functionality.
  • 📈 The touchscreen could be a high-margin product feature that allows Apple to increase the price of the AirPods Pro case.
  • 💭 The idea of a 'screened case' being the only option for future AirPods Pro versions is proposed as a potential strategy for Apple.
  • 🤷‍♂️ The overall usefulness and consumer demand for a touchscreen on an AirPod case remains uncertain and speculative.

Q & A

  • What is the main feature of the upcoming AirPod Pro case mentioned in the script?

    -The main feature of the upcoming AirPod Pro case is the inclusion of a touchscreen.

  • How does the company that sent the mockup have a history with the speaker?

    -The company has a history of sending the speaker accurate and reliable mockups of pre-release hardware, including blanks of upcoming iPhones, a resin model of the Pixel Fold, and a functioning Surface Duo.

  • What did Apple file a patent for in 2022 related to AirPods?

    -In 2022, Apple filed a patent for a device that appears to be a case for AirPods with a touchscreen.

  • What are some of the functionalities provided by the touchscreen on the mockup case?

    -The touchscreen on the mockup case provides controls for audio, including volume controls, ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) controls, transparency mode, an EQ for adjusting bass, and a 'find my buds' feature.

  • What is the speaker's initial reaction to the touchscreen feature on the AirPod case?

    -The speaker's initial reaction is skepticism, questioning why Apple would add a touchscreen to the AirPod case and expressing doubts about its practicality.

  • What is the speaker's main concern about the touchscreen not being able to do?

    -The speaker's main concern is that the touchscreen cannot be used to send media to the device, meaning it can only act as a controller for an external audio source like a phone or computer that is nearby.

  • How does the speaker describe the sound quality of the buds in the mockup?

    -The speaker describes the sound quality as not great, indicating that they are not real AirPods Pro but is surprised that the touchscreen functionalities worked with them.

  • What is the speaker's theory on why Apple might add a screen to the AirPod case?

    -The speaker's theory is that Apple might add a screen to the AirPod case to increase the product's price and profit margin, as well as to create an upgrade path for future versions with improved screen technology.

  • What is the speaker's prediction about the future of AirPods Pro?

    -The speaker predicts that the next generation of AirPods Pro (AirPods Pro 3) might only come with a screened case, thus increasing the price and offering new upgrade options for consumers.

  • How does the speaker feel about the touchscreen on the JBL Tour Pro 2?

    -The speaker is surprised that many reviews for the JBL Tour Pro 2, which also features a touchscreen on the case, are positive and highlight the extra functionality, despite the speaker personally not seeing the value in it.

  • What is the speaker's final conclusion about the usefulness of a touchscreen on an AirPod case?

    -The speaker concludes that while they couldn't initially see the usefulness of a touchscreen on an AirPod case, the idea of it being a high-margin product and the potential for a price increase with additional features makes sense from a business perspective.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 Unboxing a Mysterious AirPod Pro Case with a Touchscreen

The paragraph discusses the arrival of an AirPod Pro case with a touchscreen, sent by a company known for accurate mockups of pre-release hardware. The author expresses initial skepticism about the legitimacy of the product, but upon further investigation, discovers that Apple had indeed filed a patent for such a device in 2022. The case appears identical to a regular AirPod Pro case, with the exception of the touchscreen. The mockup includes functional controls for audio, volume, ANC, transparency mode, EQ, and a 'Find My Buds' feature. However, the author questions the practicality and necessity of having a touchscreen on an AirPod case, especially considering it doesn't support media playback and increases the cost and weight of the device.

05:00

💡 Market Comparison and Theoretical Pricing Strategy

This paragraph explores the market presence of other wireless earbuds with touchscreens, specifically mentioning the JBL Tour Pro 2. Despite some reviews calling the touchscreen 'gimmicky', many users appreciate the added functionality. The author initially struggles to envision a scenario where a touchscreen on an AirPod case would be beneficial. However, a potential future scenario is proposed where the next generation of AirPods Pro (version 3) might only come with a screened case, thus increasing the price from $250 to $280. The author speculates that this could be a strategic move by Apple to increase profit margins, as the cost to produce the screen may only be a fraction of the price increase. The author acknowledges this is speculative but presents it as a plausible explanation for the existence of such a product.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AirPod Pro case

The AirPod Pro case is the primary storage and charging container for the AirPod Pro earbuds. In the video, the speaker discusses a mockup of an upcoming AirPod Pro case that features a touchscreen, which is a significant departure from the standard case design.

💡Touchscreen

A touchscreen is a display that can be interacted with via touch, allowing users to control devices with finger gestures. In the context of the video, the speaker is intrigued by the idea of a touchscreen being integrated into the AirPod Pro case, which would enable direct control of audio settings and other features.

💡Pre-release hardware

Pre-release hardware refers to devices or components that are not yet available to the general public but are sent to select individuals for testing or review purposes. The video discusses the speaker's history of receiving accurate mockups of pre-release hardware, which lends credibility to the AirPod Pro case with a touchscreen.

💡Apple patent

An Apple patent is a form of intellectual property protection granted by the government that allows Apple to exclusively use an invention for a certain period. In the video, the speaker mentions that Apple filed a patent for a device similar to the touchscreen AirPod Pro case, indicating that the company has been exploring this concept.

💡USB-C Port

A USB-C port is a type of USB connector that is used for data transfer and charging. In the video, the speaker compares the USB-C port on the mockup case to that on the actual AirPod Pro, noting that both have this feature, which suggests a commitment to standardization and compatibility in Apple's design.

💡Noise-cancellation

Noise-cancellation is a feature in audio devices that reduces unwanted ambient sound by the addition of an inverse sound wave. The video discusses the functionality of the noise-cancellation feature on the AirPod Pro and how it could be controlled via the touchscreen on the mockup case.

💡Transparency mode

Transparency mode is an audio feature that allows users to hear their surroundings while still listening to music or other audio content. In the context of the video, the speaker is surprised to find that the mockup case's touchscreen includes controls for enabling transparency mode, enhancing the user experience.

💡EQ (Equalizer)

An equalizer is a tool that allows users to adjust the balance of audio frequencies in a sound system. In the video, the speaker discusses the presence of an EQ on the mockup case's touchscreen, which would enable users to customize the audio output to their preferences.

💡Find my Buds

Find my Buds is a feature that helps users locate their lost earbuds by making them emit a sound or by showing their location on a map. In the video, the speaker notes that the mockup case's touchscreen includes a 'Find my Buds' function, which adds an extra layer of convenience and security for users.

💡Product differentiation

Product differentiation refers to the process of distinguishing a product from others in the market through unique features or capabilities. In the video, the speaker speculates that Apple might introduce a touchscreen on the AirPod Pro case to differentiate it from other products and justify a higher price point.

💡Consumer behavior

Consumer behavior is the study of individuals' habits, preferences, and decision-making processes when purchasing goods or services. The video discusses the speaker's inability to envision a scenario where a touchscreen on an AirPod case would be useful, reflecting on how consumer behavior can sometimes be unpredictable and driven by factors beyond functionality.

💡High margin product

A high margin product is one that has a large difference between the cost of production and the retail price, resulting in significant profit for the manufacturer. In the video, the speaker suggests that Apple might introduce a touchscreen to the AirPod Pro case to increase the product's margin, as the cost of adding a screen is likely much lower than the price increase it justifies.

Highlights

The transcript discusses a pre-release mockup of an AirPod Pro case with a touchscreen.

The company that sent the mockup has a history of sending accurate and reliable hardware mockups.

Apple filed a patent in 2022 for a case with a touchscreen for AirPods.

Most Apple patents do not result in actual products, but are for experimental or explorative purposes.

The touchscreen on the mockup case allows for audio controls, including volume, ANC, and transparency mode.

The touchscreen also includes an EQ and a 'find my buds' feature.

The mockup has a USB-C port, speaker, lanyard loop, and metal hinge, similar to the real AirPod Pro.

The presence of the screen is the main difference between the mockup and the actual AirPod Pro case.

The touchscreen functionality was found to be fully operational in the mockup.

The sound quality of the mockup's buds is not great, but the functionality was impressive.

The addition of a screen makes the case more expensive, heavier, and more fragile.

The device in the patent is used as a controller for an external audio source, not as a standalone media player.

The touchscreen on the case does not allow the device to act like an iPod, which was a desired feature.

Comparing the case with a regular AirPod Pro, the touchscreen case could potentially justify a price increase.

The idea of a screened case could be a high-margin product strategy for Apple.

The possibility of future AirPod Pro generations only coming with a screened case is considered.

The concept of a screened case could lead to a new upgrade path for AirPods, similar to iPhone models.

The discussion explores the potential reasons for Apple to add a screen to the AirPod case, despite the challenges.

The video creator initially struggled to envision a practical use for a touchscreen on an AirPod case.

The video creator invites viewers to share their thoughts on the potential benefits of a touchscreen AirPod case.

Transcripts

00:02

so this airpod looking thing showed up

00:04

at the studio and this was sent by a

00:05

company who in the past have sent me

00:08

very accurate and reliable mockups of

00:11

Hardware that's pre-release so they sent

00:13

me blanks of upcoming iPhones they've

00:15

sent me the resin model of the pixel

00:18

fold before it was available they also

00:20

sent me the Surface Duo like a

00:22

functioning surface Duo before it was

00:24

released they have a very good track

00:25

record with me but last week when this

00:26

device showed up I thought it was pretty

00:29

interesting because this is supposed to

00:31

be a upcoming airpod Pro case and it's

00:35

just airpods Pro except the defining

00:38

feature is that it has a touchcreen on

00:41

it now when I cut this in when I pulled

00:43

it out of the box the first reaction I

00:44

had was like there's no way this is real

00:47

there's no way that apple is coming out

00:49

with this thing because there's so many

00:50

questions so many thoughts I have about

00:52

this thing about why it probably

00:55

shouldn't even exist but I I asked them

00:58

is this legit and they're like they seem

00:59

quite convinced that this was actually

01:01

going to be thing so I look into it and

01:03

it turns out that in 2022 Apple did file

01:05

a patent for a device that looks to be

01:07

some kind of case for airpods and this

01:09

case has a touchcreen and they document

01:11

the kind of functionality of that

01:13

touchcreen but the thing to keep in mind

01:15

when it comes to Apple patents is that

01:17

the vast majority of their patents don't

01:18

end up as a product a lot of it is for

01:21

like experimental or explorative

01:23

purposes but in this case I feel like

01:26

this could actually be a real device and

01:28

also it's it's also the confidence that

01:31

those guys seem to have about this whole

01:32

thing

01:33

now I have so many questions and

01:35

thoughts okay uh when you compare it

01:37

with a real airpod Pro two this is the

01:40

one with the USBC Port they both have

01:43

USBC ports they both have a little

01:44

speaker thing uh they both have the

01:46

lanyard loop on the right they both have

01:48

same kind of back metal hinge the

01:52

button it and when you open it up it's

01:54

also identical it really is just the

01:57

presence of the screen that is the

01:59

difference also kudos to them for

02:01

actually fitting a screen onto a case

02:05

like this I'll be honest I was surprised

02:06

that this thing could even exist but the

02:09

question that you have the

02:09

million-dollar question is why would

02:11

Apple even put a touchcreen onto airpods

02:14

in the first place okay so on this

02:16

mockup the thing that I have here it has

02:18

some functionality like touchscreen

02:20

gives you controls namely uh audio

02:23

controls you can control your music you

02:25

get volume controls you get ANC controls

02:28

so you can like turn your noise

02:30

cancellation on and off you can enter

02:31

transparency mode uh and this was all

02:34

functional that was the crazy thing like

02:35

you could do all the stuff with these

02:38

buds that were in here uh there's also

02:41

an EQ if you want to like crank up your

02:43

base you can uh there's just a whole

02:45

bunch of functionality including a find

02:48

my buds like you could this was all

02:51

functional right you could

02:52

just have it out

02:55

and like it all worked now the sound

02:59

quality on these buds aren't great

03:01

they're not real buds but it was crazy

03:05

that this was functional

03:07

now my initial reaction is like okay

03:11

this is all cool but the one thing that

03:13

I would have loved to have seen would be

03:15

the ability for my phone to be able to

03:18

send media to this thing so it could use

03:20

like an iPod right but it turns out you

03:23

can't do that and if you look at the

03:25

patent filing that also seems to be the

03:27

case the device that they have there in

03:29

the patent is only used as a controller

03:32

for an external audio Source like your

03:34

phone or computer that's nearby and then

03:35

I thought if you need your phone nearby

03:38

why would you use this like imagine you

03:40

had the airpods case in one pocket and

03:42

then your phone in the other pocket in

03:44

What scenario is it easier or better to

03:47

use the controls on the case instead of

03:50

your phone like I just couldn't wrap my

03:52

heads around and also by introducing a

03:55

screen onto this thing you now make it

03:57

more expensive you make it heavier you

03:59

make it more fra

04:00

now the battery has to be bigger to be

04:02

able to juice all this stuff like it

04:03

just seems like a really bizarre thing

04:04

for Apple to even consider that I was

04:07

just like this seems impossible like

04:09

actually unlikely now it is Apple they

04:12

have the tendency to just put screens on

04:14

things whenever they can because they

04:16

can like I said the same thing about

04:19

having the touch bar on the MacBook Pro

04:20

a few years back I was like why because

04:23

they can same with the Vision Pro when

04:25

this thing launched I was like why are

04:26

they putting this whole Vision thing on

04:29

the front like why their screen it makes

04:30

it more expensive more heavy like the

04:32

same things right same problems by

04:35

adding a screen on the front of things

04:36

but it's what Apple does and they just

04:40

do it because they can now there's

04:43

another layer to all this when I used

04:45

this over the past few days and I tried

04:47

to kind of Imagine a scenario where I

04:49

would actually want to use this it it

04:51

couldn't click for me it just didn't

04:53

really make sense to me as to why a

04:55

screen on an airpod case would be useful

04:57

however this is not the only device out

05:00

there and this thing isn't even real

05:02

there are other products out there right

05:04

now you can buy that have kind of some

05:06

kind of wireless earbuds with a screen

05:08

on the front of the case the most

05:10

prominent one being from JBL the JBL

05:12

tour Pro 2 and this device has great

05:16

reviews but the interesting thing is

05:18

that even though a handful of these

05:20

reviews mention a gimmicky screen like

05:22

you know the screen doesn't do that much

05:23

the vast majority of the reviews seem to

05:26

love the existence of that touchcreen a

05:28

lot of people are talking about how it's

05:29

got this extra functionality and the

05:31

whole time I'm like do do these people

05:33

not have phones like why is this special

05:36

so maybe it's something that I just I

05:38

personally don't get and maybe some of

05:39

you guys can chime in and be like you

05:40

know there's awesome functionality to

05:42

that but I cannot Envision a scenario

05:45

where if I was in a store and I could

05:47

choose between two devices right one

05:50

with a screen or the one without a

05:51

screen that's going to be invariably

05:52

cheaper I would always choose the

05:54

cheaper one that was

05:58

screenless

06:01

unless oh my

06:03

God as I was saying that

06:07

sentence I think I something just came

06:09

into my mind what if okay okay okay okay

06:13

okay oh my God right now this is a

06:18

$250 product us the regular airpods Pro

06:23

2 now what if the Next Generation the

06:27

airpods Pro 3 only comes comes

06:30

with a screened case as in it's the only

06:35

option what if there is no screenless

06:37

case that you can buy you have to get a

06:40

case with the screen dude I can totally

06:42

see this they charge you $280 so instead

06:45

of $250 it's now $280 that $30 bump up

06:48

in price you get slightly better audio

06:51

but the big thing is you get a screen

06:54

now and that justifies that bump up in

06:56

price for the consumers this totally

06:58

makes sense cuz also opens up this

07:00

upgrade tree cuz then the next year they

07:03

can sell you the the retina version and

07:05

then the liquid retina version then the

07:06

one with the notch they got this whole

07:09

you can do that whole thing now you

07:11

see oh my God this this finally makes

07:15

sense to me this whole time I I just

07:18

couldn't piece it together but now this

07:19

scenario actually makes sense because

07:21

this is a very high margin product right

07:23

these things are very cheap to produce

07:25

and they sell for a lot of money but

07:27

what if you could bump up the price by

07:31

like 30 bucks when it only cost you

07:33

maybe five or six dollars more to

07:35

produce it that would be such an apple

07:38

thing to

07:39

do dudes that's got to be it that's got

07:42

to be why this thing could possibly

07:44

exist now whether or not it actually

07:46

comes out I don't know but it totally

07:47

makes sense to me now it totally makes

07:50

sense to me what do you think now I

07:52

could be totally wrong for some people

07:53

out there that be like Dave you're

07:54

completely an idiot there are so many

07:56

usage cases where having a screen is

07:58

Awesome on an airpod C

08:00

educate me please like legitimately I

08:01

want to know if that's a real thing but

08:03

what do you

08:05

think that's my theory for the day hope

08:08

you guys enjoyed this

08:09

video

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