Apple patent reveals plans for hybrid wireless earphones

There are plenty of headphones or in-ear earphones that have been designed for activities such as exercising. These headphones tend to be more durable and come with features such as water/sweat resistance. That being said, it seems like Apple might be interested in getting into the exercise headphone/earphone game as well thanks to a recently discovered patent. Dubbed the “Detachable wireless listening device”, it basically describe a pair of earphones that does not require wires and will pair with devices via Bluetooth.

Granted Bluetooth earphones aren’t exactly new, Apple’s patent describes a pair of earphones which can not only transmit wirelessly, but can also be attached to a wire when needed. This is a feature normally found in higher-end headphones/earphones (Bose QC15 and Shure SE535) where their cables can be detached, allowing them to be stowed away properly or to prevent damage when accidentally tugging on the cables. However the difference is that once detached, the headphones/earphones stop playing back audio.

Unsurprisingly it was suggested that the earphones and its cable can be attached via magnets which is similar to that of the MagSafe adapters used to charge MacBooks. To top it off, it seems that if users wanted to charge their earphones, all they’d have to do is connect them to the cable which will then tap into the power supply of their media player to charge. Sounds pretty convenient although we’re not sure if this will drain more battery in the long run. While Apple’s own brand of earphones might not be the best quality money can buy, they get the job done although assuming these headphones are made a reality, hopefully Apple will invest some time and money into improving its sound quality.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Audio
Tags: earphones, Patent