A number of Apple products have been in the limelight for quite a while now, with rumors of a next-generation product even before the company unveils another. How about other Apple products like the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle? The last we heard news about one of the two is before the company unveils the iPhone 4S, where rumors have surfaced that Apple will be discontinuing the production of the iPod Shuffle.
Now, a recently published Apple patent reveals how the company could add a speaker to the clip of the iPod Shuffle or Nano. It is a pretty sneaky way to add an extra feature to the smallest of Apple’s players without adding extra bulk.
According to the published patent, which was released by Patently Apple, a built-in speaker would be a “natural evolutionary step for their media players.”
The patent did not specify how the speaker will be used, but being a part of a music player, it is likely that it would be used for playing music and playing click sounds when navigating menus.
The filing describes that any kind of speakers could be used for the device. One example is a piezoelectric speaker, where a flex microstrip, fine gauge wire or a coaxial cable can be used to connect the main housing to the speaker.
A speaker of this size may fit into the Shuffle’s clip, but we don’t think that it can produce good quality sound. Given that the patent was filed in May 2010, this could be one of many of the company’s scrapped projects.
via: Apple Insider
