We first heard back in March of last year that Apple was mulling adding more health-based features to its AirPods. At the time, details were scant, but gleaming from older patents said features would include the likes of heart rate and temperature sensing. Now, it looks like the bitten fruit brand is taking it more seriously, with testing being underway for the next iteration of AirPods Pro.
In the weekly Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says that heart rate tracking is the top priority that Apple has for its next AirPods Pro. Gurman frames this as a potential Apple Watch substitute for those who don’t like watches, or just want another backup tracker. Internal testing has also seemingly shown that whole the watch is still more accurate, the early development prototype earbuds “aren’t terribly far off”.
Beyond being another health tracker, Gurman also says that Apple wants to squeeze cameras into its Airpods as well. This endeavour was tested previously but ultimately got shuttered. Now, the company is reviving the project “to help with AI services”. On one hand, this is seen as a priority within the company, but on the flip side, it’s still a long way away, and liable to getting shut down again.
While the newsletter doesn’t mention when Apple will be releasing the AirPods with heart rate sensors, it sounds like it may happen before it gets stuffed with cameras. The company has already added a Hearing Aid Mode for the AirPods Pro 2, after all.
(Source: Bloomberg)
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