To some extent, this can be a replacement for the player
Apple has discontinued any version of the iPod. However, a recent patent shows that Apple may be rethinking the idea of a compact portable player, albeit not directly.
The latest Apple patent does not describe the player in the literal sense, but something similar to it conceptually. Technically, we are talking about an AirPods case equipped with a touch screen. This solution will allow you to control playback directly from the case, without taking out your smartphone, if headphone control is not enough.
Apple has said goodbye to the iPod, but it may be rethinking the idea.
In addition to controlling music playback, the case can also receive other functions. For example, displaying messages from a paired smartphone, controlling the smartphone’s camera, displaying a map service, weather, and so on. In general, the possibilities can be quite wide. True, if there are a lot of them, then in a sense this is just a duplication of the functions of a smartphone. However, for simple operations, a number of users may indeed prefer to get a small and light case, rather than an iPhone.
Of course, as always, this is just a patent, and it is still completely unclear whether it will ever be implemented in a serial product.
