At one time, Apple developed prototypes of AirPods and 29W Power Adapter that had transparent surfaces. This has been discovered through photos of the prototypes shared by Twitter user Giulio Zompetti, who has a knack for sharing photos of rare Apple devices and prototypes that usually do not see the light of the day in public.
Transparent AirPods and 29W Power Adapter
Although Apple has previously launched popular products, including the original iMac, with transparent see-through cases, the company has stuck to aluminum and glass materials with its products for over more than a decade. The AirPods shown in the photos have transparent material for its stem and the area around the earbud, with the earbud itself featuring white plastic that is the material used for current production AirPods.
Another image shows a 29W Power Adapter, which shows off the internals thanks to its transparent casing. Just like the AirPods, the transparent casing on the power adapter beautifully shows the interior, with plastic only being used for the removable part of the charger. This is a prototype of the same 29W charger that shipped with the fanless 12-inch MacBook that was discontinued in 2018.
These prototypes with transparent casings are usually created for engineering and testing purposes and are not intended to be released to the general public. However, with the positive reception to transparent headphones like Nothing Ear, it seems that there is demand among customers to have devices designed to show their internals. We doubt that Apple is planning to go back to such designs for its products but it would be great to have a transparent iMac again.
Update: another Twitter account, Apple Demo, known for sharing pictures of Apple prototypes has shared pictures of the transparent power adapter:
Clear Energy#appleinternal pic.twitter.com/Mu9JniJlZN
— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) December 1, 2021
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