Apple’s truly wireless AirPods earphones have been popular since their December 2016 release, but two issues — losing them and charging them — have continued to vex some users. Now inventor Benjamin Farkas is proposing a solution to both problems called Air.Wear, using a battery-laden neckstrap to turn the ear wearables into neck wearables while they’re charging.
The idea behind Air.Wear is to connect a two-pin cable to the bottom of each earbud, using a small in-line battery pack to refuel the AirPods. Farkas says that the cable will attach magnetically to the AirPods, and recharge them up to four times before its own battery requires additional power.
Assuming Air.Wear makes it to market, it would be the first non-case charger for AirPods, and an interesting alternative to Apple’s own solution — a way to keep the earbuds near your ears even when they’re not being used. While Apple’s standard charging case is beautifully designed, users have found it easy to lose or forget, leading third-party developers such as Twelve South to develop clips to attach the case to clothes and bags. Apple’s own second-generation AirPods charging case was expected to debut in 2018, but has been missing in action without explanation.
That said, Air.Wear’s actual chances of hitting stores remain questionable. For now, it’s an Indiegogo campaign with nearly two months remaining to hit its $50,000 funding goal, and it uses a non-final product image that looks less like a viable battery pack than wires connected to an Apple remote control, complete with plus and minus volume buttons. In FAQs, Farkas explains those volume controls as a currently non-working feature limited by Apple’s lack of hardware support, but one he hopes to make functional in the future.
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If you’re interested in supporting the project, which somehow hopes to deliver its first chargers by March 2019 — pretty close to the end of the funding campaign — early bird pricing for the $55 accessory starts at $21 plus shipping. As with all crowdfunding campaigns, take the ship dates and promises with at least a grain of salt, and be well aware of the platform’s limited backer refund policy.
