Apple

Apple Transparent AirPods

Yashika Gupta

Dec 24,2024
2 min read
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678 Views

Apple device collector Giulio Zompetti has mugged a prototype 29W Apple charging slipup, and it may be one of the rare cases where the product-in- progress may look better than the final interpretation. What makes it special is that you can literally see Apple’s design process because of the clear plastic shell, unlike the retail interpretation where the internals are hidden by opaque white plastic.

Zompetti also twittered another clear prototype, a brace of AirPods that live up to the “Air” name. The retro-futuristic look of the densely packed electronics makes me wish Apple would actually vend see-through widgets again.

Transparent electronics were a (cool) style in the 90s, with Apple’s own iMac G3 frequently being brought up by those ignoring about the age of transparent or translucent electronics, alongside the Nintendo 64 and that Unisonic clear landline phone. But the look does feel to be having a kind of reanimation you can buy skins that make it look like you ’ve done a transparent mod on your phone (without the pitfalls that come with scraping off the aft panel’s makeup or plastic), and companies like Nothing are releasing actually see-through widgets. That’s not to mention the variety of after- request mods for consoles like the Nintendo Switch that let you replace the device’s opaque plastic with a case that shows off the internals.

These days, it feels doubtful that Apple would actually vend capricious clear bias — we can slightly get colors on pro bias, and the Apple totem hasn’t started glowing again, despite the new MacBook including a refreshed design. But I can hope that Apple will return to its roots if transparent bias start coming back in a big way.

So come on, Apple; your masterminds do emotional work, which you love to show off in donations. Why not let it see the light of day and make us feel like it’s the unborn again by giving us some transparent accessories?

Still, Zompetti also posted filmland of an AirPower prototype before this time, showing off some inconceivable circuitry, If you love seeing the internals of Apple bias. You can also check out The Verge’s story on the original iPhone prototype, which looked more like a breadboard electronics design than the pocketable device it would ultimately come.