Next-gen AirPods to get Apple Watch-like health tracking features, analyst says

It looks like Apple's next-generation AirPods will get the health tracking feature of the Apple Watch. In other words, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 could store and share your fitness and health data just like the company's popular smartwatch. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims the American tech giant plans to integrate health tracking features in AirPods.

Apple brought Spatial Audio support to the AirPods Pro last year. An earlier report claimed this spatial audio feature is headed to the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel 6 series. Likewise, the word on the street is that Apple is gearing up to unveil a more affordable version of AirPods dubbed the AirPods Lite, which could cost only $99.

However, the Cupertino-based tech firm still hasn't confirmed or denied these rumours. Now, Gurman says Apple's AirPods is on the verge of becoming "a health tool." This will probably happen in the next couple of years. Furthermore, he believes future AirPods will be able to get some sort of hearing data.

The company recently filed two patents for an advanced biometrics sensor, which corroborates Gurman's report. The latest, U.S. Patent No. 9,497,534, shared by MacRumors, depicts a fitness monitoring system for earbuds. This system can track the wearer's perspiration levels, heart rate, and temperature.

How will this affect future Apple AirPods?

Gurman says it is still unclear whether Apple will bring health-tracking capabilities to upcoming AirPods. It is worth noting that Gurman has a reputation for accurately predicting upcoming features for Apple devices. To recall, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed that Apple plans to add health-tracking features to its earbuds.

The latest iteration of AirPods support Conversation Boost and Live Listen features for the hearing impaired. However, the FDA hasn't cleared AirPods' accessibility features as a replacement for hearing aids. Moreover, the built-in sensors can only determine when the wearer puts in or removes the earbuds without collecting vital health information.

In other words, these features aren't as useful as the health tracking features of the Apple Watch. Nonetheless, Apple is likely to bring health-tracking metrics to AirPods as well. There is a possibility these features will arrive on the Apple AirPods 4 in the next few years.

Apple Watch saves the life of a man

The Apple Watch series has been saving the lives of its wearers since its debut in 2018. The smart wearable provides a wide range of useful health data, including heart rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, and more. The Apple Watch can efficiently detect any abnormalities. British author Adam Croft has revealed how the Apple Watch saved his life by alerting him of his undiagnosed heart problem.

The 36-year-old author from Flitwick in Bedfordshire claims his Apple device notified him at night that his heart was in atrial fibrillation, or irregular rhythm. He told BBC that the Apple Watch continued to alert him even when he woke up. The device urged him to seek medical advice. He decided to call 111 and was recommended to go to the hospital within an hour for medical assistance.

The doctors confirmed Croft had atrial fibrillation after performing a couple of ECGs. He underwent a cardioversion procedure and was prescribed medication to restore a regular heart rhythm. "The watch will be staying on now," Croft said. The Apple Watch series has sensors that can effectively monitor high and low heart rates, blood oxygen levels, ECG, irregular rhythm, and more.

Irregular heart rhythms can be due to underlying diseases such as high blood pressure, blocked arteries, and heart attack. Croft was suffering from atrial fibrillation, which alludes to rapid heart rhythm. Stroke and heart failure risks increase if it is not diagnosed or treated on time.