Apple has been vocal about wanting to make impactful leaps in the health sector, but hush-hush about how it intends to execute this vision. Fortunately, the Wall Street Journal may have found a crack in Apple's heavily guarded ivory tower, and discovered that the Cupertino-based tech giant could be eyeing the AirPods for future health-focused projects.
Citing "people familiar with the company's plans," WSJ says that Apple plans on implementing new health features to next-generation AirPods, including body-temperature detectors, posture-monitoring sensors and hearing-enhancing features.
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New health features may come to future AirPods
If you want to explore the Cupertino-based tech giant's latest technological advancements in health, the Apple Watch would be your best bet with its blood-oxygen monitor and electrocardiogram app. There are also reports claiming that Apple will include a new wrist temperature sensor in the next-generation Apple Watch.
However, according to the WSJ, Apple is considering expanding its health-tech reach to its AirPods line. Apple is allegedly engineering AirPods prototypes that can detect the wearer's core body temperature by analyzing their inner ears. The company may also implement posture-focused motion sensors in the earbuds, allowing AirPods to alert wearers that they're slouching.
Apple is also reportedly developing hearing-enhancing features for future AirPods, but the news platform is unsure about the company's vision. "It isn't clear if Apple is developing specific new hearing-aid features for AirPods or wants to market the earbuds' existing hearing-improvement features as hearing aids," WSJ said.
The iPhone may also get some health-tech love, too. As WSJ reported last month, Apple is working on adding a new feature to the iPhone that can diagnose depression and mental-health deterioration.
Don't expect these features to hit the market any time soon, though. WSJ's sources say Apple's new health-tech developments may show up in 2023 and beyond — and may even be scrapped and ne'er to be seen.
Considering the reported turmoil within Apple's Health division, we hope the Cupertino-based tech giant can leap over its hurdles and become the health-tech giant it's always dreamed of being.
