Apple already has a few FDA-approved health features on the Apple Watch and it is working on incorporating more. According to the latest update, Apple is reportedly working on health features for its AirPods lineup as well although you can expect it around next year or in 2015 only.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared the update on his Power On newsletter according to which, Apple is working on incorporating AirPods with some ‘ability to get hearing data of some sort’. There’s no clear indication of exactly what Apple could be planning to integrate though at the time of writing this.
Apple will upgrade its AirPods with health features in 2024 or a year after as per the newsletter. The Cupertino-based giant already has features called Conversation Boost and Live Listen where the latter transforms your iPhone into a directional microphone relaying the audio through the AirPods. However, it is not approved by the FDA as of now. The AirPods might arrive as alternatives to hearing aids for hearing impairment but that’s just what I think, Apple is yet to comment on the same.
Reports dating back to 2016 did talk about certain health features Apple is working on for its AirPods series. It includes sensors to measure heart rate, temperature, and perspiration levels among others. It would use built-in motion sensors to gauge the aforementioned factors although that remains to be seen as of now.
The tech giant is expected to launch a cheaper version of AirPods probably dubbed AirPods Lite with a $99 (or INR 8,000/-) price tag on it. For context, the AirPods 3 is priced at INR 19,900/- while the AirPods 2 is available at INR 14,900/- in India. Talking about the timeline, we might get our hands on the new AirPods with these health benefits sometime in 2H 2024 or 1H 2025.
