One of the reasons why people choose in-ear designs when it comes to earphones is because they tend to have a better fit. The fact that they embed deeper in your ear also ensures that there is no sound leakage, thus delivering a tighter and more immersive sound experience, kind of like the different between on-ear and over-ear headphones.
However according to a recent patent discovered by AppleInsider, it seems that Apple is looking into creating earbuds, like the ones offered with the iPhones, that can offer up better quality audio. This will apparently be done by embedding pressure sensors into the earbuds. These sensors can detect when the earbuds aren’t a perfect fit.
From there, they will then be able to adjust themselves dynamically to deliver better audio quality as opposed to users having to continuously adjust the earbuds in their ears. Some potential electronics that could be used for the sensors include elastomeric material, piezoelectric, or capacitive units.
However it’s hard to say if Apple will ever implement this design. After all it does seem like a lot of effort and money for a free bundled pair of earbuds, right? Unless of course Apple plans to start creating and selling these earbuds under the Beats brand, then maybe it will be a different story.