Future AirPods Max Headphones Could Feature Glass Earcups

Apple launched the AirPods Max headphones back in December of 2020. While they are expensive, they do have a rather premium feel thanks to the use of materials like aluminum. Unfortunately, the use of aluminum has also created a pair of headphones that are kind of heavy.

This means that over time, users can get fatigued if worn for long periods of time. It seems that Apple might be aware of that and could be looking to change the use of the materials. This is based on a patent discovered by Patently Apple which found that Apple is exploring the idea of using strengthened glass as the material for the earcups.

Now obviously the glass won’t be used as the padding, but will be used as the outer part of the earcups and could replace the use of aluminum. However, glass is more fragile and no one relishes the idea of their headphones breaking in that manner, which is why the patent describes the use of asymmetrical chemical strengthening to help make the glass more resilient.

While the idea of glass in headphones is kind of novel, it’s not an unfamiliar process for Apple. The company has used both glass and aluminum in its iPhones before, like the iPhone 12 series which features a glass back. However, whether or not Apple will go through with this design is a different story, but what do you think?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Audio, Gadgets
Tags: AirPods, airpods max, Headphones, Patent