In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman provided several updates regarding Apple’s health feature advancements for AirPods. While there have been previous reports, this overview offers additional clarity.
The newsletter reveals that Apple is developing an array of health features, such as a heart-rate monitor, a temperature sensor, and new sensors designed to track various physiological metrics. Currently, Apple’s primary focus is on the development of the heart-rate sensor.
During internal testing, Apple has found that heart-rate information sourced from the Apple Watch is becoming more accurate, and Gurman notes that AirPods are not far behind. However, details on the other health features and a specific timeline remain undisclosed, though Gurman suggests they will be introduced “over the coming years.”
Additionally, Apple is working on integrating cameras into AirPods. This initiative, which was once scrapped, has been revived due to the company’s renewed focus on AI-driven products. Gurman mentions that this has become a priority for teams within Apple’s AI and AirPods hardware divisions, but it’s still a few years away from fruition:
In fact, it’s now seen as a priority for the teams within Apple’s AI and AirPods hardware development groups. That said, I wouldn’t expect the technology to hit the market for a couple more years — assuming it doesn’t get canceled again.
Earlier this year, Apple rolled out a firmware update for AirPods Pro 2, providing hearing health features and the functionality to use AirPods as an FDA-certified hearing aid. This shift indicates that Apple is steering toward more health-centric offerings, making it likely that AirPods will gain health features that cater to users without an Apple Watch.
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