Apple may soon add a new feature to its AirPods that will allow users to undergo screenings for possible hearing problems and check their body temperature, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported.
Apple is working on a new generation of AirPods Pro, and we know that it should arrive at the same time as the iPhone 15 next September. They will be a direct successor to the AirPods Pro 2 which were launched at the same time last year, but should this time arrive with new many novelties.
Among them, we can notably mention a USB-C port. As you may already know, the European Union has forced smartphone manufacturers to adopt universal connectivity, and Apple is no exception to the rule. All iPhone 15s will ship with a USB-C port, replacing the previous proprietary Lightning port, and so should the new AirPods.
AirPods Pro arrive with two health features
In addition to the USB-C port, journalist Mark Gurman is already talking about the arrival of two features dedicated to health. Gurman writes that Apple is considering how to position and market the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid after the FDA made it easier for Americans to buy over-the-counter options last year. He reports that the company recently hired engineers who have worked on traditional hearing aids as part of this initiative.
The next-generation AirPods Pro should allow their owners to detect possible hearing problems. The function of hearing test will play different sounds and tones through the AirPods to determine the quality of a person’s hearing, according to Gurman. This feature would be similar to the Apple Watch’s ECG app, which checks for heart problems.
But that’s not all. Gurman also indicates that ” engineering work is underway to add sensors to AirPods so they can determine body temperature through the user’s ear canal “. Your AirPods could therefore turn into a real thermometer, as will also be the case with the next Pixel 8 Pro thanks to a dedicated temperature sensor on the back. It remains to be seen which of the features under study will be present in the next generation of AirPods Pro, expected in just under 3 months.