The new Komutr earbuds from Artronic Designs do a trick that any Apple AirPods user can envy. Their charging case uses MagSafe, so it magnetically attaches to the back of an iPhone.
“They’re almost impossible to lose,” boasts Artronic.
There is a significant drawback to the Komutr’s design, though.
Artronic Designs Komutr earbuds benefit from MagSafe
The MagSafe system builds magnets into the back of iPhones. These can hold a charger on the handset, but that’s only the start. Other accessories take advantage of the magnets, too… with Artronic’s Komutr earbuds the latest example.
“The snap-on MagSafe case provides the perfect solution for keeping your earbuds safe, with you, and charged, no matter where you are,” said Artronic.
The case also supports Apple’s Find My system so if it gets misplaced it can be tracked down with an iPhone app.
Plus, the product offers another trick. Flip open the top of the Komutr charging case while it’s connected to the iPhone and it becomes a kickstand. Pop in the earbuds and prop up the iPhone to watch video.
But it’s important to note that the Komutr charging case can’t draw power from the iPhone. It needs a USB-C port to recharge.
Still, Apple AirPods come in a stand-alone charging case that doesn’t attach to an iPhone in any way. Recent versions come with Find My support, though.
Photo: Artronic Designs
The drawbacks
As innovative as the Komutr’s design is, there’s an obvious drawback. The charging case must be slim to ride around on the back of an iPhone — it’s under 0.5 inches — and the earbuds have to fit inside, of course. As a result, they’re quite narrow.
Apple puts tremendous effort into the design of its AirPods to make them stay firmly inside the wearer’s ears. There’s no way any current AirPods could fit inside a case that’s half an inch thick.
Still, Artronic Designs came up with a clever idea by adding MagSafe support to its earbuds. It’s one worth Apple’s consideration — its designers might come up with a workable way for AirPods to attach to an iPhone. Even better would be a system that let an iPhone use MagSafe to charge AirPods.
Artronic Designs Komutr: Price and availability
Komutr MagSafe earbuds launched last week on the crowd-funding service Kickstarter. During this early phase, it costs $99 plus $10 in shipping. That’s 33% off the regular price.
Buy it from: Kickstarter
Artronic Designs says pre-orders should start shipping in October or November. That’s if the project gets funded — it’s at about 60% of its funding goal at the time of this writing.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
