Future AirPods Could Monitor Body Temperature and Posture, and Work as a Hearing Aid
Apple is developing AirPods with health features, including body temperature and posture monitoring, and the ability to work as a hearing aid, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to documents seen by The Wall Street Journal, prototypes of AirPods with temperature sensors for monitoring a wearer's core body temperature from inside the ear are being developed. The report noted that these in-ear temperature sensors could work in tandem with a temperature sensor in the Apple Watch Series 8.
The health-focused AirPods reportedly also use motion sensors to monitor a wearer's posture and alert them when they are slouching in an effort to improve posture.
Apple released its "Conversation Boost" feature for AirPods Pro last week, which boosts the volume and clarity of people directly in front of the wearer. It is not clear if the new hearing aid functions being explored by Apple are an extension of Conversation Boost or a wholly different hearing aid-specific feature. AirPods already feature, microphones, an amplifier, and a processor, providing the bedrock for hearing aid functionality.
AirPods may not be suitable as hearing aids for some sufferers of hearing loss since they do not have an all-day battery life, but the report noted that an expansion of FDA regulations for a new class of hearing aids, targeting mild to moderate hearing moss, that is expected next year could pave the way for Apple to explicitly market AirPods as hearing aids.
AirPods have been rumored to feature health-monitoring functions for some time, even with Apple executives hinting at the possibility. While previous reports have only speculated on the health features that could theoretically come to AirPods, The Wall Street Journal's report is the first clarification of the specific features Apple is reportedly exploring.
Individuals said to be familiar with Apple's plans told the The Wall Street Journal that the AirPods with health features are not expected to launch in 2022, and may never be released.
Popular Stories
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....
Top Rated Comments
Maybe a Tim Cook VoiceOver saying "You're sitting wrong"?
I like that.
Well, if there moss in the ears, hearing is going to suffer. Doubt AirPods will help much with that. ?
The "It just works" and "Best rather than first" mantra is as played out as the doomed comments.