Rumor has it that Apple is planning to introduce completely new over-ear headphones. It will be a high-end model. Possibly with gesture control?
The rumor that Apple wants to introduce completely new high-end over-ear headphones has been circulating since 2018. The well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now believes that Apple the new product could introduce this year. But how would these differ from the Beats? Today's patent could provide us with the answer. The latest filing describes over-ear headphones with an integrated touch interface and the ability to detect rotations. The Apple patent states:
Some embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for detecting headphone rotation to correctly process user input to the headphone. For example, the systems and methods described herein may be used to detect a gesture (e.g., a swipe) received as user input on a touch interface of the headphone, such as a touch interface integrated into an earbud. The gesture may be in a specific direction, e.g., downward toward the earth. However, headphones may be worn in multiple configurations, e.g., upright with the headband around the head, down with the headband around the neck, or anywhere in between. Therefore, the systems and methods described herein may be used to determine headphone rotation to correctly determine the intended gesture and achieve an intended result.
No mechanical keys but touch interface
The patent describes a system that users can control via touch gestures - for example, swiping - instead of mechanical buttons. The touch-sensitive surface is activated in any orientation, as it can detect when the headphones are being worn using sensors. It doesn't matter whether the headband is positioned over the head, around the neck or in another way. It is of course not known whether Apple's new headphones will actually be equipped with such technology. However, it would be a great distinguishing feature from the Beats series, as rumors say that the new product will not belong to the subsidiary brand. But here, as with every Apple patent, it is not uncommon for many such ideas to never make it into finished products. In our Apfelpatient Amazon Shop you can find all current Beats models. (Photo by kradoops / Bigstockphoto)
