Apple AirPods are coming, as secret trademark filing revealed
According to MacRumors, Apple may already have filed a trademark for the name AirPod(s), which could mean that the rumored wireless earbuds for iPhone and iPad could be available as soon as Apple announces the iPhone 7.
The news comes amidst MacRumors investigating a faint, but solid lead in regard to the name AirPods being trademarked in September 2015 by “Entertainment In Flight LLC” an entity rumored to be one of the many shell companies used by Apple to register product trademarks while “ensuring” that no information about future products leaks out, as they did also for the iPad, CarPlay and the Apple Watch.
In the original filing from last year, the trade name AirPods appears to have been filed as International Class 9, and as MacRumors reported back then, it covers audio accessories, earphones, microphones, and wireless communication devices. Two other classes made in Europe are Class 38 “Transmission of digital audio”, and Class 41 “Entertainment devices”.
While at the time of the original filing there was no direct evidence between the EarPods trademark and Apple, a recent amendment to the AirPods trademark shows a signature very similar to the one affixed on the September 2015 filing, under Jonathan Brown, whom, oddly enough, may just be the same Jonathan Brown who has represented Apple in a number of past litigations.
It’s not uncommon for Apple to pre-emptively file trademarks through shell companies under the management of members of its own legal team, which counts almost 500 professional litigators and counselors, which makes the AirPods rumor a lot more solid.
Apple is expected to eliminate the audio jack from the next iPhone, and replace the original 3.5mm audio jack earpods, with a Lightning port enabled version.
The rumor has sparked mixed reactions among consumers, who may be wondering if this is a good move for Apple. With that said, Apple has a history of introducing radical innovations with its products, including the lone USB Type-C port on the 12 inch MacBook Retina. In that regard, MacBook users have adjusted well to the introduction of the new port, which is a good sign in regard to apple’s next step to replace another piece of obsolete technology, especially one as old as the 3.5mm audio jack.