Apple – yes, for the zillionth time this year – has come up with something worth noting and surprisingly this time it is not a new phone, although we can expect one soon enough.
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Apple has applied for a patent and the publication from the office gives out details that the Cupertino-headquartered multinational company could be working on a new pair of headphones that might feature HomePods beamforming technology.
Now Beamforming technology is not new and is used in Apples HomePod to determine the shape of the room the smart speaker is in. What it does is that it sends out sound waves and measures how much time it takes for the waves to come back, thereby using complex and boring calculations to determine the boundaries of the room.
By doing so, the HomePod is able to give crisp sound quality and a rich experience to users, which is true even if Apple says so.
It seems that now Apple wants to bring the same beamforming technology to the upcoming pair of headphones. The patent states that the headphones might be reversible in nature, meaning they would be able to detect where the users voice is coming from and then adjust the sound quality automatically.
Further, the patent application states that the headphones would feature five microphones built into each earcup, bringing the total of 10 built-in microphones.
This should mean that the headphones would be better equipped to cancel outside voice, even in the most challenging environment possible. I think we must check it out at the first show of a Rajinikanth movie release to see if it is capable of doing that.
Its unclear whether Apple actually plans to launch a pair of headphones with the beamforming technology, and manufacturers often file patent applications, although they dont necessarily go into development.
Speculation is rife that Apple is working on a pair of high-end, over-ear headphones, dubbed StudioPods, as well. The company had planned to release the new over-ear headphones towards the end of this year, but has faced ‘development challenges’, if sources are to be believed.
In addition, Apple is also working on the second-generation AirPods, featuring a water-resistant design and noise-cancellation capabilities.