Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Apple’s next AirPods case may be waterproof and let you recharge an Apple Watch

Simon Cohen
By

When Apple updated its hugely popular AirPods this year, it did not make them waterproof or even water-resistant as many had hoped for. But that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t actively thinking about ways to make its true wireless earbuds a little more durable. Our best evidence of this comes in the form of a  patent application that was published on Thursday, September 19. In it, Apple describes its AirPods and wireless charging case at length, but if you look beyond the initial description, you’ll find two very interesting design claims: An electrical connector on the case that could be made partially or fully waterproof and the ability to wirelessly recharge an accessory like an Apple Watch using the AirPod charging case.

Now, a waterproof electrical connector on a charging case is no guarantee that the AirPods themselves will end up being waterproof, but it would make a lot of sense. We already know that the charging case has some kind of water-repellent coating on its circuit board. Apple’s recent iPhones are water-resistant, too. Many of the AirPod’s competitors, including the true wireless Beats PowerBeats Pro, feature some degree of waterproofing. If you look at some of the top-selling AirPod accessories, fully waterproof outer shells for the charging case are very popular. These indicators, plus the patent application, make it a good bet that the next generation of AirPod will be able to cope (officially) with some water exposure. Strangely, all of the drawings in this patent application show an AirPods case that opens from the side, Zippo-style, and not the current front-opening design. Perhaps a side-open design, with its smaller hinge, is easier to waterproof.

Recommended Videos

As for the ability to wirelessly recharge an accessory from the charging case? That’s certainly not a longshot in terms of the technology needed. Huawei and Samsung both let you juice Qi-charging devices by sitting them on the backs of their latest smartphones, and there’s been speculation that Apple might add a similar feature to its iPhones down the road. The bigger question is around charging capacity. At the moment, an AirPod charging case contains a 398 mAh battery, which is big enough to charge the tiny cells in the AirPods about four times. An Apple Watch would be a different story. The Apple Watch 4 has a 291.8 mAh battery according to a recent teardown, which means that fully recharging it from an existing AirPod case wouldn’t leave much juice leftover for your AirPods. Still, battery capacities are constantly improving and as we’ve seen recently, true wireless earbuds can now last up to 10 hours or more on a single charge.

Related

We can’t say whether or not the next AirPods charging case will be waterproof, or work as a charger for other devices, but Apple’s patent shows the company is at least considering it.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
Are Apple AirPods waterproof? Everything you need to know
AirPods 3 on an athlete.

So, you just bought yourself a nice new pair of AirPods, or you're thinking about it because they're among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, and you're wondering if they're waterproof. The answer is no, AirPods are not waterproof and you should not wear them while swimming or in the shower or during a water balloon fight. But, if the pair of AirPods you've got (or got your eye on) is either the third-generation AirPods or the first or second-generation AirPods Pro, then you're in luck as they are water resistant.

We're going to get into what all that means and break down how water resistant each AirPods model is and what their water-resistance ratings mean for your daily activities. Let's go.
Water resistant vs. waterproof
As we mentioned above, none of Apple's AirPods -- AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPod Max -- are waterproof. But what is "waterproof" anyway? From an electronic device standpoint, being waterproof means that the device is watertight and can be completely submerged in water. There's a common ratings system designed for electronics to measure this (as well as dust and dirt resistance) known as the IP (Ingress Protection) rating, which we cover in our post on the water-resistance rating system.

Read more
This accessory turned my AirPods into a giant mech head
CASETiFY Evangelion Type-01 AirPods Pro 2 case front side view.

You’ve probably heard of a tech accessory brand called Casetify by now. It’s one of the higher-quality brands of tech accessories out there, and it’s particularly known for having a ton of customizable products, as well as many unique collaborations with artists and well-established brands — including Disney, Star Wars, Peanuts, and more.

The Evangelion x Casetify is one of the latest collaborations that the company has launched, and it should appeal to anyone who is a fan of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime and manga series. There was even an “Impact!” launch event in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, where a 4-meter tall, 7-meter wide EVA–01 bust was put on display, with the mecha holding a Casetify Impact case that features an iconic NERV design.

Read more
A new USB-C case may be in AirPods Pro’s future
The Lightning connection on the AirPods Pro case.

The Lightning connection on AirPods Pro may be a thing of the past if Apple finally makes the switch to USB-C. Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

One of the worst-kept secrets in Cupertino, California (if anyone's actually trying to keep it, anyway) is that the iPhone 15 is going to switch to USB-C from Apple's proprietary Lightning connection when it's announced later this year. That's likely due in no small part due to the European Union, and generally speaking, it's a good thing because proprietary cables are bad for you, even if they're great for Apple. (And arguably better for the product.)

Read more