Apple working on truly wireless Beats ÁirPods, could launch with the iPhone 7

Apple working on truly wireless Beats ÁirPods, could launch with the iPhone 7

Over the past couple of months, rumors around Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 have been claiming that it will sport a waterfproof design, wireless charging capability, bigger battery and also ditch the 3.5mm audio jack. Now, a new report could be the final confirmation of rumors that Apple is likely to do away with the audio port.

Citing sources, 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple is prototyping Bluetooth earphones made by Beats Electronics, the company Apple acquired in 2014. The new earphones could be completely wireless without having any cable running from right to left ear, and likely to launch along with the iPhone 7. The concept and working of these headphones is similar to Motorola Hint headset and Bragi’s new Dash headphones. Gurman has the record of being one of the most accurate Apple bloggers when it comes to sources inside the company.

The in-development Bluetooth earphones are also said to include noise-cancelling microphone to enable communication with Siri, and also to make and receive handsfree phone calls. To ensure that the earphone properly fits one’s ears, Apple could be developing different sized ear sleeves, an approach similar to that we’ve already seen in Moto Hint and Bragi Headphones.

Last year, Apple had also registered “AirPods” trademark, which may be what the company would eventually call these headphones. While the iPhone 7 would still come with EarPods, the AirPods could be a premium alternative that users will have to buy separately. In 2014, Apple added the ability for headphones to connect via Lightning port, and the new EarPods that come with the iPhone 7 are likely to come with Lightning connector instead of a 3.5mm audio jack.

The upcoming wireless headphones from Beats and Apple may not include a charging port. However, it could include a carrying case that would double as a rechargeable battery to charge the headphones. While Apple may hope to launch new earphones along with the iPhone 7, there are high chances that it may get delayed due to hardware requirement. The design requires separate batteries and two wireless chips.

Besides this, Apple has also patented dual-camera setup and acquired a facial recognition tech company. Other patents include inductive charging without any external hardware, TouchID sensors embedded within the display and use of new materials to make the iPhone waterproof.