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Redesigned AirPods Max Smart Case Potentially Revealed in Apple Patent

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Apple has been granted a patent that could well hint at a new design direction for the controversial Smart Case that comes with Apple's AirPods Max (via Patently Apple).

airpods-max-smart-case-video.jpg

When Apple unveiled its $549 high-end AirPods Max headphones last year, the included Smart Case stirred up plenty of online chatter for its odd appearance and poor overall protection when compared to the traditional hard cases that come with other premium headphones.

Apple's much-lampooned case birthed an avalanche of memes, which have irreverently compared it to all sorts of things, from handbags to lingerie, and even body parts. The mixed reception has led many to wonder if Apple will rethink its design in future models, and a newly approved patent may offer a possible idea of where Apple could take things next.

Filed by Apple in June 2017 and approved today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent summarizes various implementations of "Enclosures with flexible magnetic closures and clasps," but the accompanying "merely illustrative" images leave the reader in little doubt about the specific use case Apple has in mind.

1headphones-case-patent.jpg

In its example for a headphones case, the patent describes a full-coverage two-part housing that opens and closes via a pair of magnetic "mating strips" that run along the seam, and a magnetic clasp at the top. Meanwhile inside, a separator divides a pair of headphone earcups, while a headband can be seen arching over the separator.

The images offer a top and side view of the headphone case, along with a perspective view, and they all look like a much more traditional design compared to the current one-piece folded-over design, which left some reviewers feeling that Apple de-prioritised function in its pursuit of iconic fashion.

2headphones-case-patent.jpg

As with all patents, this one could well come to nothing, but Apple may well be planning a new version of AirPods Max for the company to include features that it reportedly had to leave out because of development challenges and production issues.

Early rumors indicated the headphones would feature interchangeable headbands, touch pads for controls, and no specific left and right orientation, but these features did not make it into the final product.

It's possible that a future version of the AirPods Max will include the functionality that was left out of the first launch version, but all we know so far is that additional color options are in the works for a future launch.

Article Link: Redesigned AirPods Max Smart Case Potentially Revealed in Apple Patent
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/07/05/apple-patent-airpods-max-case-design/
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Reactions: Wildkraut
The main issue I have with the Max (which I do own and love) is not just that the case isn’t very good at doing case-y things, it’s that it’s missing a critical element of the AirPods magical sauce - the ability to top off the battery on the headphones within it. I know weight has been one of the biggest criticisms of the product, but a case that had a small built in battery that was positioned towards the headband area would give it an overall nicer weight balance when in the case, making it feel consistently weighted throughout instead of extremely heavy at one side.

This, to me, was the missing feature/oversight. I can live without the other rumored features that didn’t make it in, although I’ve always found it strange that the ear cups twist the wrong way when you put the headphones down around your neck, exposing the ear cups outwards instead of the metal enclosure. That seems like an oopsie to me.

Oh, and include the fricking 3.5mm cable. Ridiculous price gouging.
 
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It doesn't matter what Apple does here, people are going to complain about it.

"I hate the current design of the case, its awful."

"This new design is just a copy of other manufacturers designs (even though its what I said I wanted in a case). Where is the innovation!!"

Its a freaking headphones case. The case now is really not bad. It takes up very little space and protects the important parts of the headphones. I swear people just want a reason to complain about things.
 
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Finally, I was a day-1 AirPods Max buyer and this was one of three major issues that I hoped they would address with a Gen 2.

1) USB-C, please, so I can charge it with my Mac charger

2) A case that actually protects the device, ding ding ding!

3) Audio out for when the batteries are dead!
 
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DMG35 said:
It doesn't matter what Apple does here, people are going to complain about it.

"I hate the current design of the case, its awful."

"This new design is just a copy of other manufacturers designs (even though its what I said I wanted in a case). Where is the innovation!!"

Its a freaking headphones case. The case now is really not bad. It takes up very little space and protects the important parts of the headphones. I swear people just want a reason to complain about things.
Click to expand...
The case is terrible! When you take the headphones out they clack together, and it provides no dust, and hardly any drop protection.
 
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Reactions: arkitect, lbmdk1 and jprmercado
I’ve been using the waterfield (sfbags dot com) AirPods Max case since they were released and it’s MUCH better at basically everything and built incredibly well.

If they update the AirPods Max with usb-c and a few other features, I’ll probably get those too, but without usb-c, I’ll just stick with these for now. My older XM3 Sony still work perfectly, as do my XM4s, but I still prefer to wear the AirPods Max for most listening sessions. On a long haul flight, Sony wins out due to comfort, though.

I own all generations of AirPods, and the 3rd gen ones get daily use and are always in my pocket. Pros are left for airport/commuter flights, and I only use the max on 4-6 hour flights, or when (my other obsession) building LEGO or watching movies in the hotel.
 
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l3it3r said:
I’ve been using the waterfield (sfbags dot com) AirPods Max case since they were released and it’s MUCH better at basically everything and built incredibly well.

If they update the AirPods Max with usb-c and a few other features, I’ll probably get those too, but without usb-c, I’ll just stick with these for now. My older XM3 Sony still work perfectly, as do my XM4s, but I still prefer to wear the AirPods Max for most listening sessions. On a long haul flight, Sony wins out due to comfort, though.

I own all generations of AirPods, and the 3rd gen ones get daily use and are always in my pocket. Pros are left for airport/commuter flights, and I only use the max on 4-6 hour flights, or when (my other obsession) building LEGO or watching movies in the hotel.
Click to expand...
same here the water field bag is great, but again an additional purchase. who knows if this will even be included. it might be an add-on even if they do a v2
 
UMHurricanes34 said:
it’s that it’s missing a critical element of the AirPods magical sauce - the ability to top off the battery on the headphones within it
Click to expand...

Absolutely! I'd go even further though. The AirPods were unique in that they were compact in the charging case. They are still one of the smallest, especially considering the active noise canceling competitors. The AirPods Max are none of the things that made the AirPods great. They don't come with a charging case and they aren't compact.
 
Do people actually carry these around in a case? I assumed people threw them into a soft bag of some sort and then put that into their travelling bag.

The patent looks more like a travelling case that'll be so large that it won't fit into a travel bag. I can see Apple side-stepping the controversy by releasing a case that technically has a different function (hard case for travelling vs existing soft case for day-to-day)
 
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