Apple’s Next-gen Airpod Focuses Mostly On Health Tracking, Comes With USB-C, And A Lower Price
According to “Bloomberg” reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is developing a new hearing test function, which will play different tones and sounds so that AirPods can determine the user’s hearing condition, thereby helping users screen hearing problems, just like Apple The same way the Watch ECG app checks for heart problems.
Separately, Apple is working on how to better position AirPods as hearing aids. Apple has already added hearing aid-like features to the AirPods, such as conversation enhancement and real-time listening, but has not received regulatory approval. last year.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has relaxed the rules for purchasing hearing aids, allowing manufacturers to sell over-the-counter without examination or doctor’s prescription, which creates more opportunities for Apple’s market strategy.
Apple has hired engineers from traditional hearing aid makers to begin work on adding sensors to the AirPods so they can determine body temperature through the wearer’s ear canal. Such data is believed to be more accurate than the wrist temperature collected by the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models while the user sleeps.
Apple relies on the data to track fertility, but hopes to expand its use to determine whether a person has a cold or other illness. But it may take months or even years for this health function to be implemented.
In the near future, Apple plans to update the AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case, Guman said, adding that all of the company’s audio products will eventually also be Lightning-free.
However, AirPods owners can look forward to new software features Apple will roll out alongside iOS 17, including a new button to mute themselves while on a call and improvements to device switching.
Guman predicts that Apple may also permanently drop the price of the second-generation AirPods from $129 to $99 to make them more competitive with lower-cost offerings from Samsung, Sony, and Amazon.
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