Apple have a patented a pair of earphones that double as speakers, as they will allow everyone around the user to hear.
Detailing a “dual speaker system” that is expected to include a private and public mode. The private would work just like regular headphones, however the public mode is expected to channel the audio through an exhaust port over the user’s ear, playing music away from them.
The use case is listed as smart glasses, possibly in an effort to create a more immersive experience through the Apple Vision Pro VR headset.
The patent also claims users won’t need to worry about accidentally engaging public mode, as there will allegedly be machine learning which can determine what environment the user is in, and adjust audio accordingly.
A “context engine” is also indicated, supposedly to help decided how to play the audio depending on the location and the use case, taking into account the user’s past actions.
Open-backed headphones have open rather than enclosed ear cups, and so the audio can be heard by people around, however this is something that sounds entirely different.
As it’s just a patent, there’s no telling if or when Apple will implement the idea into products.
