Future AirPods Pro might incorporate an in-built temperature sensor

Mark Gurman, in his most recent Power On newsletter, has shared that Apple is developing new health-centric functionalities for its audio product line. The foremost of these would enable AirPods to carry out a hearing assessment. As pointed out by The Verge, audiogram profiles, which can be utilized by iOS to fine-tune the earbuds’ output to compensate for hearing impairment, are already supported by AirPods. Presently, these profiles can be created using third-party apps such as Mimi, thus if Apple decides to create its own test, it would be another case of the tech giant appropriating a feature initially developed by a third party.

In another piece of news, Gurman shares that Apple is contemplating ways to brand and sell AirPods Pro as an over-the-counter hearing aid, following the FDA’s relaxation of the buying process last year. He informs that the company has recently brought on board engineers skilled in working on conventional hearing aids, as part of this effort.

Another novel feature that Apple is reportedly working on is a method for the earbuds to gauge body temperature. The feature of an integrated temperature sensor was previously introduced in Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra. The reason for Apple duplicating an existing feature is that the ear canal can provide a more accurate temperature reading compared to the wrist.

However, Gurman cautions that both these features could be several months, if not years, away. He reports that in the shorter term, Apple is planning to upgrade the AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case, and predicts that the company will eventually shift all its audio products from Lighting to this standard. This transition is a necessary step to adhere to the EU’s new universal charging standard. Despite this USB-C transition, Gurman doesn’t foresee a sudden launch of entirely new AirPods Pro hardware, considering the recent refresh of the earbuds last year.

In the meantime, Gurman anticipates that AirPods users can look forward to new software features that Apple promised to roll out with iOS 17. These enhancements include a new button to mute calls and improvements in device switching. Additionally, he speculates a permanent price cut for the second-generation AirPods, from $129 to $99, to remain competitive against low-cost options from Samsung, Sony, and Amazon.

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More about Apple AirPods health features

• Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman
• Apple’s AirPods
• Apple’s AirPods Pro
• The Verge
• FDA’s hearing aid guidelines
• Apple’s Watch Series 8
• Apple’s iOS 17
• EU’s new common charging standard
• BuyTechBlog