Xiaomi is working on a new design to allow for inbuilt earbuds phone storage according to Android Authority. Some think the company may have taken a step to far with this outlandish idea. However, recent patents suggest this is the direction the company is moving in.
Xiaomi has been busy in recent weeks. The company hosted a global event to show off new gadgets such as scooters and wearables. More recently, the company also announced the much anticipated Mi Band 4C smartwatch.
This design shows great innovation from Xiaomi to attempt inbuilt earbuds phone storage. However, where it is something that actually works and customers are interested in is another matter altogether.
Xiaomi patents storing earbuds in your phone
A Dutch company, LetsGoDigital, has created some renders to demonstrate what the design could look like. The company has taken inspiration from the Xiaomi patents and let’s just say the results are interesting.
The patents indicate that the earbuds slot into shafts at the top of the phone. They will also allow the tops of the earbuds to pivot upward when stored. The earbuds can then pivot at right angles for when users want to put them in their ears.
Some have pointed out that this could allow the earbuds to double as speakers for the phone. It is also worth noting just how unhygienic this design could be. The proposed design exposes the top of the earbuds to your pockets, hands and the outside world for a lot of the time.
Charging may be the stumbling block for Xiaomi
It is unclear what Xiaomi is going to do about charging these earbuds. No one knows if the company needs a larger battery or additional components to adequately charge the earbuds. This could mean the rest of the phone is compromised to accommodate the earbuds.
The advantages of such a design are fairly clear in so much as it save you having to forget your earbuds or store them anywhere. However, it is unlikely we are going to see this product break patent status any time soon purely because of the many obstacles there are to overcome.
Despite this, it is refreshing and exciting to see Xiaomi invest in exciting projects such as this. As some companies seem to be getting a bit stagnant, Xiaomi is trying to do quite the opposite.
This design does seem to have more advantages than other concepts purely demonstrated for marketing purposes. However, do not get too excited about seeing this product come to market any time soon.