New
AirPods Point to a Hearing Aid Mode, with Even More Health Tracking
Commentary: With iOS 18 on the horizon, will AirPods get another hearing health feature?
Apple's AirPods have
always acquired valuable features with software updates, and with iOS 18 set to
be revealed at WWDC on June 10, AirPods may gain even more health functions.
Apple provides heart health features with the Apple Watch, mobility with walking
steadiness detection on the iPhone, and safety with fall detection and
emergency SOS, to name a few. However, I believe the AirPods could be another
avenue for Apple to advance its health strategy.
In this week's episode of One More Thing
(linked above), I discuss all of the rumors surrounding the impending AirPods,
including a potential hearing aid mode that could arrive with iOS 18. In the
future, AirPods may include additional sensors, such as an EEG for sensing
brain activity. Apple filed a patent in 2023 for a sensor incorporated into
headphones.
A few years ago, there were reports that the
AirPods Pro would feature a heart rate and body temperature sensor. This has not
yet appeared, although other earbuds, such as the recently introduced
Sennheiser Momentum Sport, do. It's quite useful to have all of this info
collected in your exercise app so you don't have to carry a watch and earbuds
while working out.
AirPods have
a lot of potential to help Apple's health goals, especially since they're one
of the most affordable additions to Apple's wearable line. Even if these
patents never make it into a finished product, I enjoy how Apple is looking for
ways to upgrade its wearables from entertainment and second-screen gadgets to
full-fledged health aids.