Apple AirPods to check body temperature, hearing issues

Apple is exploring new hearing health, and body temperature features in AirPods wireless headphones. According to Apple analyst and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, upcoming AirPods may also feature a Type-C port for charging, as the company is moving away from its proprietary Lightning port on iPads and soon iPhones. In his latest issue of the Power On newsletter, Gurman claims that the next AirPods could launch in 2024, while the AirPods Pro 3 could debut in 2025 if we follow Apple's three-year update cycle for AirPods. Upcoming AirPods may include more sensors for better connectivity with the Apple Vision Pro headphones.

The newsletter highlights that Apple is working on a new hearing test feature to check how well a user can hear. The headphones will play different tones and sound to "test" users for hearing problems, similar to how the Apple Watch ECG app checks for heart problems. Gurman adds that the enhanced listening test could "Sherlock or make existing apps like Mimi irrelevant." Similarly, Apple is exploring positioning AirPods as headphones; however, restrictions include regulatory approval. The company added features similar to hearing aids, such as Conversation Boost and Live Listen, but can't claim they help users hear better.

It could change soon as the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) eased the rules for purchasing hearing aids. This may also have consequential effects in India.

Second, the upcoming AirPods can measure body temperature more accurately than an Apple Watch. The newsletter says, "There's also engineering work being done on adding sensors to the AirPods so they can determine body temperature via a wearer's ear canal. That type of data is considered more accurate than wrist temperature, collected on the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models while users sleep." Apple has been rumoured to be working on this feature for a while. Old leaks claim that future AirPods can even track heart rate.

Meanwhile, Apple announced a new feature for the AirPods Pro 2 at WWDC 2023 last month. The company will release "Adaptive Audio," which takes advantage of active noise cancellation and transparency modes. Apple explains that "Adaptive Audio" automatically switches between audio modes depending on "changing environments and interactions throughout the day." It means that if you're in a noisy environment, the AirPods Pro will go into ANC mode, but if a person calls you or a car passes you while you're crossing the street, the earbuds will go into transparency mode to keep you aware of the environment. The feature is expected to launch in September or October.