Apple is reportedly exploring new health-focused features for its AirPods. Features could include using the earbuds to take the wearer’s temperature, monitor their posture, and improve their hearing.
According to ledgeOf course, it’s unclear whether the latter function differs significantly from the AirPods’ existing “Conversation Boost” feature.
According to reports, these works “are not expected until next year and may never be rolled out to consumers or the timing may change.”
In other words, it looks like the iPhone maker is exploring these new health features, rather than actively working on integrating them with products over the next year or two.
It would make sense for Apple to add these sensors. The company has increasingly marketed its products on the strength of its health and fitness applications, although so far, most of its focus has been on the Apple Watch.
Reports last month suggested that the company is looking at adding various sensors to the wearable, including monitoring blood pressure, temperature, sleep quality, blood oxygen and blood sugar.
Integrating healthcare facilities into commercial products is a difficult task, however, mostly due to the difficulty of meeting the high bar of medical regulatory standards. This inevitably leads to delays.
For example, in June it was reported that the next Apple Watch would add temperature monitoring, but this function never appeared in September’s Apple Watch 7.
However, it is common to take the temperature by one’s ear, and there are a number of posture devices on the market that use digital sensors to alert wearers when bending over.
Apple has already shown that it’s interested in using AirPods as some sort of hearing aid, although the earbuds aren’t actually approved for this purpose by the FDA.
ANI. with inputs of
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