I have seen a lot of people question this one and its viability and worth, seems fairly simple when you think about it, Apples will likely position this as something akin to an iPod (the case acting as controls, media management) and the earphones themselves doing what earphones do - this is probably great for Android users that just cannot bring themselves to use iPhones but prefer Apple music or just want Airpods (Android has an Apple music app thats oddly better than the iOS version and Airpods do work on Android as a simple bluetooth audio receiver)
You can already connect your bluetooth headphones to your apple watch.( I do this with some WM…XM3s from Sony to my Series ⅜ (they live in rotation, dont sleep on the 3… if you poor like me .. the Series 3 is a great entry device.. just ensure you get good battery life before you dive in.)
Anyway my point was this is just another way Apple will look to cut the cord and offer you a way to use it’s hardware/services independent of another - as long as you spending money on Apple stuff ..Apple is happy. .. I do like the idea of an iPod cousin type device (one thats purely audio focused)
9to5Mac wroteApple’s AirPods have gained a bunch of new features since their first generation in 2016. However, they’re still essentially earbuds that require an iPhone or other device nearby. But that may change in the future, as Apple has patented a new AirPods case with an interactive display.
Store Link: https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/03/apple-patents-airpods-case-display/