iPod Nano

Conventional wisdom in the tech business states that the way you stay ahead is by constantly innovating. Unfortunately, the quantum leaps forward of years past have sort of petered out, leaving us with annual incremental updates to existing technology instead (nobody likes the new logo, Elon).

Apple’s latest patent might suggest that we’re about to start going backward — at least, according to fans who learned the news via Twitter. According to CNET, the tech giant filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a new version of its AirPods case featuring a touchscreen that would let users control playback and check the battery, among other things. But since patent blueprints aren’t very fun to look at, some accounts on Twitter sharing the news have mocked up some potential images of how such a thing might appear.

Naturally, due to its resemblance to a prior Apple product, the now-discontinued iPod Nano (specifically, the sixth iteration thereof), everybody is making the same joke (kinda like how the last three iPhones were… never mind). At least this (hopefully) won’t come pre-loaded with an album no one wants. Maybe it’ll even make Apple Music’s karaoke feature worth it?

Others wondered whether such a thing is even necessary, considering, well… your phone already does this. So can your computer, your tablet, and your gosh darn wristwatch. As one user succinctly put it, “In what scenario would it be inconvenient for me to hold a phone, but convenient for me to hold an airpod case?” Fans also pointed out that other “innovations” recently embraced by Apple hadn’t fared so well either.

However, so few patents that get filed ever actually get produced, so we’re not likely to actually get this anytime soon — and certainly not in any of the forms posited by these concept photos. For now, though, let’s all embrace the nostalgia and silliness of it all.