INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: Design Inspiration Sunday

Nothing is about to launch the Ear 3, and one of the leaked features getting attention is a built-in mic on the charging case. Most people are treating it like a quirky add-on, but the more interesting story is what it implies.

This only works if the case stays actively connected to the phone. Just like Apple’s AirPods Pro, that connection would allow it to report battery status, location for Find My-style tracking, and now, potentially, act as a mic input. The mic itself is probably cheap to implement. The value is in positioning the case as a functional extension of the device, not just a container.

Would love to hear what other industrial designers think about this. Will people actually use the case to answer calls, and use it like a speakerphone? Is this just a gimmick, or a brilliant add-on feature?

———​ To bold ideas and well-crafted things,​ —Blair

​ IDI LinkedIn group → https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13176226/