Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple is Planning an AirPods Overhaul with AirPods Pro getting a possible redesign and new chip(s) in 2025." Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that may reveal some of the changes that are being considered for future AirPods.   

Minimal Design for Improving AirPods Stability

According to Apple, various implementations of AirPods described herein can include one or more of the following features. A new stability anchor can include first and second legs each having first ends coupled to and extending away from the device housing and second ends, opposite the first ends, that are joined together.

The first and second legs can define an empty space between the legs and the device housing. The first leg can be configured to bend inward towards the device housing in response to a force asserted against the second leg in the direction of the first leg.

The first and second legs can be joined together at a location spaced apart from the device housing by a distance between 1.0 and 5.0 mm or by a distance between 1.5 and 3.5 mm.

The stability anchor can include a spherical or spheroid structure that protrudes away from an exterior surface of the device housing. An apex of the spherical or spheroid structure can be spaced apart from the device housing by a distance between 1.0 and 5.0 mm or by a distance between 1.5 and 3.5 mm.

The stability anchor can include an elongated structure having a length aligned with the primary acoustic port and an upper surface that is curved along a width of the elongated structure. An apex of elongated structure can be spaced apart from the device housing by a distance between 1.0 and 5.0 mm or by a distance between 1.5 and 3.5 mm.

The stability anchor can be formed from a silicone material. The device housing can include a speaker housing portion and a stem portion that is coupled to and extends away from the speaker housing portion and the primary acoustic port can be formed through the speaker housing portion.

In some embodiments, an earphone comprises: a device housing that defines an interior cavity and has a first roughness across along a majority of an external surface that defines a shape of the earphone; a primary acoustic port formed through the device housing; an acoustic driver disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the primary acoustic port; and at least one friction zone formed along the device housing, the at least one friction zone protruding beyond the exterior surface of the device housing and having a second roughness that is greater than the first roughness.

The device housing can be made from a hard, smooth plastic and the at least one friction zone can be a textured region formed at an exterior surface of the device housing. The at least one friction zone can have a textured surface in which the texture lays in a direction that creates more friction against a user ear when the earphone is removed from the ear than when the earphone is inserted into the ear.

The earphone can include a first friction region formed at a first location on the device housing and a second friction region formed at a second location on the device housing. The first and second locations on the device housing can be locations where, when the earphone is worn in an ear by a user, the device housing contacts front and rear portions of the ear, respectively.

Apple's patent FIGS. 6A and 6B both illustrate the new anchor and its positioning with AirPods.

Apple's patent FIG. 10 above illustrates areas #1020 and 1030 where the textured surface will be positioned.

In order to provide a more stable fit, some embodiments add areas of increased roughness or texture in one or both of the regions 1020 and 1030 that are most likely to come into physical contact with a portion of the ear when worn by a user. FIGS. 11A and 11B depict a simplified illustration of an earphone 1100 that has two such textured regions, sometimes referred to herein as “friction” regions since the regions create an increased amount of friction between the user's ear and the earphone housing as compared to portions of the housing without the textured or “friction” regions.

To review its full details, review patent application 20230353924.